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BEST ADVENTURE WRITING PROMPTS

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All fun and games, write a story in which a character navigates using the stars., write a story about a character who risks their life to take a photo., write about an art thief who is struggling to commit the perfect heist., start your story with an unexpected betrayal., set your story on a sailboat, large or small, and entirely at the mercy of the winds..

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Start your story with one or two characters going for a run.

Write a story about someone witnessing — or trying to witness — a celestial phenomenon., write about someone who can’t sleep due to jet lag, and decides to set out and explore their new city at night instead., write about a person who's been called to mentor someone in a special skill, but doesn't really want to., you confront the monster you’ve spent many long years hunting. except they’re not exactly what you thought they’d be…, subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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Write a story about someone going on a life-changing journey.

Write a story about someone undertaking a long, dangerous journey., set your story in a desert town., write about someone finding a treasure in an unexpected place., set your story in new york, where someone’s been waiting for your character., start your story with a character being led somewhere by a stray cat., write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both., write a story that hinges on the outcome of a coin flip., lost in a foreign city where they don’t speak the language, your character uses a translation app to get around, but constantly runs into problems., cast a magician (a real one, or a party entertainer) as your story’s protagonist., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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The best adventure writing prompts

Sure, we love writing prompts that ask us to reflect on everyday life and record thoughts about our lives. But sometimes, we want to write about something unrelated to our lives — something more adventurous.

Enter adventure writing prompts: prompts that can take you and your characters on a journey globetrotting, whether it’s a spur-of-the-moment trek through the forest with friends or an adventure story across the ocean on a ship. In a genre like Action & Adventure with limitless room for imagination, the sky’s the limit for adventure stories you can create from writing prompts.

If you're looking to cut to the chase, here’s a top ten list of our favorite adventure writing prompts:

• Start your story with the line, “You wanna do something fun?”
• Write a story about a Google Street View driver.
• Write a story about friends taking a road trip they've been planning for years.
• Write a story about friends who wind up on a misadventure.
• Write about a character on the road — and on the run.
• Write about a hero or villain who's deathly afraid of doing their job.
• Write about a pirate captain obsessed with finding a mythical treasure.
• Write about a skier who accidentally strays off-piste.
• Write about a trip to see a natural sight that’s usually only ever seen in photos.
• Write about someone who goes to extreme lengths to get themselves to a tropical island.

If you're curious about learning how to write an adventure story, check out our free resources on the topic:

• How to Write a Fight Scene (blog post) — A great fight scene isn’t just a messy movement of hands and feet: it’s also a scene that racks up the tension, explores character dynamics and character conflict, and satisfies the expectations of your readers all at once. Many adventure stories will have a fight scene at some point, and this blog post will show you how exactly to write it when the time comes.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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100  Adventure Writing Prompts

November 20, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Hook Your Readers with 100  Adventure Writing Prompts

Adventure stories allow readers to journey to new worlds, experience thrilling quests, and immerse themselves in edge-of-your-seat action. Whether you’re a writer looking to craft an exciting tale or a reader seeking story inspiration, adventure prompts provide endless possibilities.

In this post, I’ve compiled 100  adventure writing prompts to ignite your imagination. These prompts offer a springboard to develop rich, suspenseful narratives filled with discovery, mystery, and heart-pounding drama. They’re ideal seeds for novels, short stories, or flash fiction.

The prompts range widely in genre and tone. You’ll find ideas for fantasy quests with dragons, pirates, and magic. Other prompts delve into historical fiction, time travel, space adventures, supernatural mysteries, survival stories, and more.

Let these prompts launch you into brainstorming new characters, settings, and plots. I encourage tweaking them or mashing up elements to make the ideas your own. Most importantly, choose prompts that speak to you and get those pages filled! Your next thrilling story awaits.

Now let’s dive in to 100 adventure writing prompts guaranteed to ignite ideas and get your creative juices flowing!

• Your protagonist discovers a treasure map that leads to a hidden fortune. Where does it take them?
• Your protagonist accidentally stumbles into a portal to another world. Describe this new fantastical place.
• Your protagonist is tasked with rescuing a princess from an evil dragon. How do they defeat the dragon and save the day?
• Your protagonist finds a magical artifact with powers beyond their wildest dreams. What happens when they start using its powers?
• Your protagonist sets sail to explore uncharted tropical islands. What mysteries, creatures, and civilizations do they encounter?
• Your protagonist is shrunk down to a tiny size. What everyday objects and creatures become sources of danger or refuge?
• Your protagonist discovers an ancient prophecy about a rising evil. How do they work to prevent it from being fulfilled?
• Your protagonist is sent on a quest to find a rare medicinal plant to save their village. What challenges arise along their journey?
• Your protagonist falls overboard while sailing and ends up stranded on a desert island. How do they survive and escape?
• Your protagonist chooses to climb a treacherous mountain peak. Describe their harrowing journey to the summit.
• Your protagonist is hired to serve as guide and protector on a caravan through the desert. What perils emerge along the route?
• Your protagonist is exploring a jungle when they stumble upon a lost civilization. What do they learn about this civilization’s secrets?
• Your protagonist discovers a way to travel through time. What time period do they journey to first?
• Your protagonist finds a baby dragon. As they care for it, the dragon grows bigger and more dangerous. How do they handle it?
• Your protagonist sets out to hunt a sea monster that’s been terrorizing a village. How do they manage to defeat it?
• Your protagonist enters an enchanted forest rumored to grant immortality. Do they achieve eternal life or encounter unexpected consequences?
• Your protagonist is urgently traveling through the countryside when their horse throws a shoe. What unexpected adventure emerges from this delay?
• Your protagonist discovers a rip in space-time that unleashes mythological beasts into the modern world. How do they try to stop them?
• Your protagonist finds Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur, embedded in a stone. Can they pull it out and claim its power?
• Your protagonist stows away on a spaceship to escape life on a dreary mining colony. Where does the ship take them?
• Your protagonist discovers a secret underground city beneath the subways. What kinds of people and creatures live in this hidden metropolis?
• Your protagonist has the ability to manipulate or transform into water. What aquatic adventures can they undertake?
• Your protagonist finds a bottle containing a powerful genie. What three wishes do they make?
• Your protagonist can communicate with animals. What dangerous or exciting tasks do they accomplish with animal aid?
• Your protagonist acquires a mythical object with the power to alter one truth about the past, present or future. How do they use this power?
• Your protagonist is being hunted by a vengeful sorcerer. How do they manage to evade capture and defeat the sorcerer?
• Your protagonist finds a mechanical device that transports them to an alternate universe version of 1889. How do they get back home?
• Your protagonist discovers a doorway to the fairy realm at the base of an old oak tree. What do they see and experience in the fairy realm?
• Your protagonist joins the crew of a pirate ship and embarks on swashbuckling high seas adventures. What foes and treasures do they encounter?
• Your protagonist accidentally awakens an ancient mummy. How do they manage to survive the mummy’s deadly curse?
• Your protagonist gains possession of a legendary pirate crew’s map to buried treasure. What obstacles block their path to fortune?
• Your protagonist comes across an enormous dinosaur egg and helps hatch it. How do they raise this prehistoric creature?
• Your protagonist stumbles into an underground lair filled with gold, jewels and artifacts. Why was this treasure hoard amassed and hidden away?
• Your protagonist acquires a mythical harp that allows them to control others simply by playing it. What challenges emerge as a result?
• Your protagonist discovers an abandoned castle filled with magical objects and strange creatures. What secrets does the castle hold?
• Your protagonist is able to bring mythical creatures to life by painting or drawing them. What creature do they create, and what are the consequences?
• Your protagonist finds a teleportation portal disguised as a closet door. What shocking place do they end up when they enter the portal?
• Your protagonist accidentally releases a mischievous fairy from captivity. What antics and chaos ensue?
• Your protagonist befriends a young dragon. As the dragon ages, how does the friendship evolve? What adventures do they embark on together?
• Your protagonist finds a seemingly deserted island that’s actually inhabited by dinosaurs. How does your protagonist manage to survive?
• Your protagonist discovers a magical library where the books serve as portals to other lands described within the pages. What marvels do they uncover by entering into these book worlds?
• Your protagonist is rescued at sea by aquatic humanoid creatures. What does your protagonist learn by living among the underwater society of their saviors?
• Your protagonist finds an enchanted music box that summons a ghostly dancer and eerie melodies when opened. What secrets might the music box reveal?
• Your protagonist accidentally breaks a witch’s curse that has been placed on their village for centuries. What is the village like now that the curse has been lifted?
• Your protagonist befriends a troll that guards an enchanted bridge. What wisdom or powers might the troll share if befriended?
• Your protagonist discovers a tunnel that leads directly into the heart of a dormant volcano. What wonders and perils await inside?
• Your protagonist receives a carrier pigeon inviting them to a mysterious masquerade ball at a castle on the night of a full moon. What happens if they attend?
• Your protagonist stumbles upon a magical doorway at the top of an old lighthouse. Where does this doorway lead, and why was it hidden away?
• Your protagonist finds a mystical looking-glass in an antique store. Gazing into it reveals a view into an alternate world. What does your protagonist see through the looking glass?
• Your protagonist follows a white rabbit down a hole, and finds themself in a strange world called Wonderland. What adventures ensue in this illogical place?
• Your protagonist is trapped inside a giant maze with walls that rearrange themselves. How will they manage to escape?
• Your protagonist discovers a door in their basement that leads directly to the lost city of Atlantis. What underwater ruins and sunken treasures remain?
• Your protagonist finds an enchanted apple that can temporarily give them the abilities of any animal they bite. What animal forms do they take on their adventures?
• Your protagonist is shrunk down to only inches tall after wandering into a mysterious glowing forest. What ordinary sights are now extraodinary threats or wonders?
• Your protagonist befriends a professor with a time machine and travels to the prehistoric age of dinosaurs. How do they manage to get back to the present day?
• Your protagonist finds a magic lamp with a genie that can bring stories to life. What adventures emerge as they put their imagination to use?
• Your protagonist follows a migrating herd of wild horses. What natural wonders do they witness along the horses’ journey?
• Your protagonist discovers a hidden gateway to the world of myths, where creatures of legend reside. What trials await as they traverse this dangerous realm?
• Your protagonist is rescued by a mysterious flying vehicle high in the mountains. Where does this advanced aircraft take them?
• Your protagonist finds a telescope that allows seeing anywhere in the universe when looked through. What incredible cosmic wonders do they observe?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of floating breadcrumbs deep into a dark forest. What sinister secrets lie at the end of the trail?
• Your protagonist befriends a monster living in a nearby lake. What supposedly dangerous creature is revealed to be gentle?
• Your protagonist finds a magical seashell that allows the wearer to breathe and travel underwater. What adventures lie beneath the waves?
• Your protagonist discovers a sweetshop where all the treats are enchanted. What fantasies or adventures ensue after eating these magic candies?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of mushrooms growing progressively larger. What awaits at the end where the mushrooms are gigantic?
• Your protagonist finds a forgotten genie lamp washed up on the beach. What three wishes do they make?
• Your protagonist discovers a rare poppy with magical sleep-inducing pollen. How do they use this plant for good or mischief?
• Your protagonist befriends a talking owl who serves as their guide to the mysterious owl kingdom by night. What wisdom do they learn there?
• Your protagonist finds a cache of dragon eggs and helps raise the hatchlings. What chaos ensues when the baby dragons grow up?
• Your protagonist discovers a portal to another planet populated by aliens. How do they manage to communicate and blend in?
• Your protagonist is ordered to slay a dragon menacing a kingdom. When they meet the dragon, it challenges their assumptions. What happens next?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of glowing sprites into a mystical grove on the night of a full moon. What ritual ensues under the moonlight?
• Your protagonist accidentally frees a genie who wreaks havoc with uncontrolled magic. How do they convince the genie to behave responsibly?
• Your protagonist discovers a secret passage inside an old tree trunk. Where does the passage lead, and what awaits at the end?
• Your protagonist befriends a wandering samurai warrior. What wisdom and skills are gained from this unlikely master?
• Your protagonist finds a mechanical steed that can take them anywhere they think of. What fantastic destinations do they envision?
• Your protagonist stumbles upon a red panda civilization hidden in the bamboo thickets of China. How do they communicate with these rare creatures?
• Your protagonist discovers a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage and mice into horses at midnight. Where does this magic coach take them?
• Your protagonist is caught in a clash between two wizarding schools. How do they mediate in this magical conflict?
• Your protagonist discovers a cursed artifact in an abandoned temple. What deadly mishaps ensue as they try to break the curse?
• Your protagonist befriends a young witch who teaches them magic spells. What mystical adventures can they embark on together?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of sparking pixie dust into a strange new land in the clouds. What civilizations and creatures live in this aerial realm?
• Your protagonist discovers a portal to the future world of tomorrow. What innovations and advances exist in this futuristic society?
• Your protagonist escapes a sinking ship in a lifeboat and ends up stranded on a deserted island. How long can they survive using only the lifeboat’s contents and what they can gather?
• Your protagonist finds a golden ticket that grants them a tour of a famously eccentric chocolatier’s secret factory. What fantastical sweets and contraptions exist behind its doors?
• Your protagonist discovers a magical library where books can transport readers into the stories. Which books do they get immersed in, and how do they get back out?
• Your protagonist follows a whispering voice only they can hear into an enchanted painting. What surreal realm exists inside the painting’s world?
• Your protagonist befriends a young dragon and helps raise it in secret. How do they cope when it grows too large to remain hidden?
• Your protagonist finds a teleportation crystal that allows instant travel anywhere. How do they use this power responsibly or recklessly?
• Your protagonist discovers a doorway to a mirror dimension where everything is the reverse. How do they find their way back to the real world?
• Your protagonist finds a phoenix egg and helps raise the mythical firebird inside. What chaos and wonders ensue when it reaches maturity?
• Your protagonist follows a mysterious trail of pawprints into the deep woods. What creature left the prints, and where do the tracks lead?
• Your protagonist is gifted a bottled fortune that can grant any wish. How do they decide what to wish for? What are the ramifications?
• Your protagonist discovers a hidden valley populated by dinosaurs. Do they try to document it or keep it secret?
• Your protagonist befriends a gnome who shows them the magical portal to the gnome kingdom. What marvels exist in the realm of the gnomes?
• Your protagonist finds a doorway at the back of an old wardrobe leading into the magical realm of Narnia. What adventures unfold in this new world?
• Your protagonist follows a trail of floating butterflies and emerges in a strange new land. How do they find their way back home?
• Your protagonist discovers a mechanical steed that can fly anywhere instantly. Where does their journey take them?
• Your protagonist finds a magic lamp with a genie that can make fiction become real. What story does your protagonist recreate?
• Your protagonist follows a mysterious map to a mythical island untouched by man. What civilizations, creatures and natural wonders are found there?

I hope these adventure prompts got you writing! If you have something to share or a comment or a question, please drop it in the comments below! We have many other writing prompts on our site you may like.

Related posts:

• 150 Romance Writing Prompts
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• Apocalypse Writing Prompts 
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• 50 Cat Poem Writing Prompts

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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35 Adventure Writing Prompts to Kickstart Your Story

by Cole Salao

Reading fiction offers us an escape to imaginary lives, locations, and situations. The thrill of learning about a new world and all that’s within it is an adventure in itself.

This is why adventure fiction is one of the biggest genres in literature and film. The unknown lures you deeper into a story until you realize you’re already at the end.

Adventure Writing Prompts

With so much adventure material already out there, it’s hard to decide where you want to start writing. There’s a story inside of you but you aren’t sure how to let it out.

The adventure writing prompts below can be of help. Use them as inspiration in creating an adventure story that’s fresh, exciting, and most of all, entertaining.

1. While snorkeling, you notice something glinting on the ocean bed. It’s a bottle with a very interesting message inside.

2. On her deathbed, the family matriarch organizes an elaborate hunt. Whoever finished first will inherit her fortune.

3. You and your siblings explore your new home and find a diary beneath the stairs. Inside is a map of the nearby forest, with an ‘X’ drawn on one spot.

4. There’s a door in the library that’s always locked. One day you find it open by just a crack. A glimpse inside reveals a jungle. You are in the middle of the city.

5. A scientist tries to build the first self-learning android. She returns the next day to find it missing and a note scribbled on the table.

6. You are shipwrecked on an island that ins’t featured on any map. During your second week, you discover a ship approaching the island. Your instincts scream danger.

7. Your father mistakenly leaves his lab door open. Curious about what’s inside, you enter and accidentally trigger a piece of equipment. Next thing you know, you’re the size of an ant.

8. Your captain suddenly takes the crew on a mysterious voyage. It’s only when you are in the middle of the ocean that he reveals where you’re going.

9. Your friend disappears after leaving a cryptic message. You set out to find him based on the clues he’s left behind.

10. You’ve been adventuring all your life. Now it’s time for one last quest—death.

11. Atlantis reveals itself to the world. You’re chosen to be one of the first to visit this country.

12. It’s Christmas Eve. All you ever wished for was a ride in Santa’s sleigh. You hear a thump on the rooftop.

13. You were always told not to enter the cave at the base of the mountain. But now that you’re an adult, your parents say it’s time to claim your inheritance inside.

14. As an experienced hunter, you are excited to receive an invitation to an exclusive hunt. The only caveat is that those who join can only use primitive weaponry and gear.

15. The world has ended. You and your parents have lived in isolation for years. Now that they’re dead, you’re about to set off and explore the broken world outside.

16. An extinct animal resurfaces in the Amazon forest. It’s your job to track it down and protect it from poachers.

17. A ship capsizes in the middle of the ocean. Some survivors are able to build a makeshift raft. With no equipment and limited supplies, they must find their way to salvation.

18. A woman sits on a park bench, enjoying the morning sun. Her dog suddenly comes over with a strange new friend in tow.

19. You begin receiving texts with strange instructions. One day, you decide to follow a fairly normal one. The result is extraordinary.

20. A tech company is offering its newest virtual technology service. You can now experience an accurate and completely immersive rendering of your favorite fictional world.

21. After an accident, you gain the ability to see ghosts. One of them has an incredible, unfinished story that you help them complete.

22. You encounter an alien who is interested in experiencing earthly life. You agree to swap bodies for a year, as long as you can experience their own world.

23. A time traveler goes back to the past. They witness how the dinosaurs died in a way that’s far from what modern scientists believe happened.

24. A librarian finds a book that isn’t listed on the register. She opens it and is sucked into the story contained within.

25. Tired of immortality, an angel opts to become human for a year.

26. It’s 200 years into the future. Most humans are confined within cities of metal and concrete. Tired of the noise and pollution, a family decides to rediscover the world outside their city.

27. Drunk from an office party, you stumble home and find yourself in the land of Faerie.

28. After dying, death takes you as his assistant and teaches you all there is about guiding the departed.

29. You learn about an uncle who was cast out of the family years ago. You reach out to him and learn the real reason why he was banished.

30. After years of anger, a mother and daughter begin to reconcile. They decide to bond by going on a cross-country roadtrip.

31. A convict escapes prison and disappears. He leaves behind supposed evidence of his innocence. Intrigued, you reopen his case.

32. A spaceship malfunctions and gets stranded in space. The crew decides to land on a nearby, unexplored, and possibly hostile planet.

33. Sometimes the nearby pond reflects an image of another world. Taking a deep breath, you step into the shimmering water.

34. Your family has always had a lot of weird, specific traditions and superstitions. Today, you learn why.

35. You visit your brother’s grave. You find a letter perched atop the headstone. It’s addressed to you and written by your brother.

Writing Adventure

No matter the genre, there’s always the thrill of the unknown and the itch to discover it in every story. Having this sense of adventure just makes a narrative come alive more.

Fantasy has heroes that go on world-altering quests. Science fiction explores uncharted space. Horror reveals what exists in the dark. Even slice-of life-stories show you how characters discover the world around them.

The goal is to feed your reader’s imagination with vivid, adrenaline-pumping images. Successful adventure stories make readers feel as if they’ve experienced events firsthand.

Use the prompts above as a springboard for your next work. No matter direction you take them in, what matters is that you get that creative process going again.

Did you find this post useful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• 35 Sci-Fi Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Next Epic Story
• 32 Fantasy Writing Prompts To Help Relieve Your Writing Slump
• 30 Thriller Writing Prompts To Get You Writing
• 25 Romance Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Next Love Story

Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!

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101 Epic Adventure Story Prompts

Do you want to write in the adventure genre but need help conjuring compelling and adventure-packed stories and concepts? Sometimes reading simple story prompts is the easiest way to get those creative juices flowing .

We get our ideas from many sources — news headlines, novels, television shows, movies, our lives, our fears, our phobias, etc. They can come from a scene or moment in a film that wasn’t fully explored. They can come from a single visual that entices the creative mind — a seed that continues to grow and grow until the writer is forced to finally put it to paper or screen.

In the spirit of helping writers find those seeds, here we offer 101 originally conceived adventure story prompts that you can use as inspiration for your next adventure story.

They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing.

Common Elements in the Adventure Genre

Adventure movies are the action genre's closest relative. They are seemingly one and the same beyond a single element — location .

Adventure movies are best defined as action movies set within an exotic location — something beyond an otherwise anonymous big city or small town.

They entail a character — or cast of characters — traveling to a new world, or many worlds, to attain what they so desire.

• Indiana Jones movies globe-trot to many different locations.
• The Pirates of the Caribbean  franchise takes us to many worlds across the open waters of the ocean.
• The Goonies  takes children into the underground caves of a pirate's treasure.
• The  Jumanji  franchise takes characters into the jungle worlds of a videogame.
• Jungle Cruise  took us down the waters of the Amazon River.

Again, the key difference between a straightforward action movie and an adventure movie is location, location, location.

Notable adventure sub-genres include:

• Disaster Flicks  —  The adventure aspect of these types of films entails characters struggling to survive through seemingly impossible and yes, disastrous, circumstances.  The Poseidon Adventure ,  The Towering Inferno ,  San Andreas , almost every Roland Emmerich movie, etc. These are all disaster flicks that take us on the ultimate adventure of survival. They can often be blended genres set within the context of natural disasters, alien invasions, and post-apocalyptic situations. In these cases, the disaster itself creates a unique location.
• Quests —  The word quest is perhaps the most simple term to market. The mere mention of it entails a MacGuffin — a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivators that the protagonist pursues — and the grand adventure of attaining it. The Indiana Jones franchise as a whole is perhaps the most well-known of this sub-genre.

Note: Because we’re all connected to the same pop culture, news headlines, and inspirations, any similarity to any past, present, or future screenplays, novels, short stories, television pilots, television series, plays, or any other creative works is purely coincidence. These story writing prompts were conceived on the fly without any research or Google search for inspiration.

101 Adventure Story Prompts

1. Two treasure-hunting teams race against time to find the same treasure in four different potential locations.  

2. A group of high school students traveling abroad must survive the elements when their plane crashes into the jungle. 

3. A gamer wakes up in his favorite car racing game and must win multiple races to survive.

4. A young boy searches for his lost father in the nearby mountains.

5. An astronaut crash lands on an exotic planet.

6. A group of middle school friends discovers a series of tunnels underneath their town.

7. A father and son go on a safari and must survive the elements when their guides are killed. 

8. A group of explorers searches for a long-lost ship that disappeared in the Antarctic two hundred years ago. 

9. A single mother learns that her college-age daughter has disappeared into the jungles of a foreign country.

10. A family struggles to survive a destructive meteor shower.

11. A man wakes up in a dream world that he can't escape. 

12. A woman joins the military and is shipped overseas as she intends to avenge the death of her soldier husband.

13. The last man on Earth flies into space to search for astronauts sent to colonize Mars ten years prior.

14. The last people on Earth go to China's Great Wall to evade attacking creatures that have killed everyone else on the planet.

15. A priest discovers the true entrance to biblical Hell. 

16. A woman fights her way across purgatory to find her true fate. 

17. A boy is taken to an alien world after displaying amazing fighting skills in his video game system. 

18. An FBI agent tracks down a group of bank robbers through the waters of the Grand Canyon. 

19. The President of the United States wakes up on a train taking him into a desert. 

20. A spy escapes to another continent to evade government assassins trying to take him out. 

21. A group of rock climbers discovers a drug deal in the Rockies and must survive as they are pursued. 

'127 Hours'

22. A retired assassin struggles to survive an onslaught of assassins trying to kill him near his mountain cabin home .

23. A gamer escapes into the fantasy world of his favorite game.

24. A classic horror movie fan escapes into the world of his favorite horror movies.

25. Professional thieves are tasked with stealing from a country's gold reserves hidden deep within a mountain.

26. Extreme paintball enthusiasts on a wilderness retreat stumble upon a group of armed criminals.

27. A president must fight off terrorists that attack him on a retreat. 

28. An FBI agent must team up with a cartel boss to find their missing sons in the jungles of Mexico. 

29. Explorers search the ocean for the lost city of Atlantis. 

30. A family finds a lost city underneath their farmland. 

31. A team of explorers is tasked with drilling a ship into the core of the Earth. 

32. A man is catapulted into an apocalyptic future to find the cause of impending doom. 

33. Extreme sports athletes are forced to use their skills for heists in the world's most exotic locations. 

34. College friends search for a mythical island paradise during spring break.  

35. A family is marooned on another planet. 

36. Racecar drivers race across the country in the ultimate race. 

37. Pilots discover a strange city in the clouds. 

38. A robot from the future finds a little girl and takes her to the future world.  

39. Kayakers are whisked away down the Mississippi River during a horrible storm and flood. 

40. A spelunker discovers an underground world. 

41. A bullied boy wakes up as a strong knight in a fantasy world. 

42. Deer hunters discover that they have been targeted by a master hunter that hunts only one prey — man. 

43. A family must survive when they are shipwrecked on a jungle island. 

'Dora and the Lost City of Gold'

44. A waitress is given a mysterious plane ticket as a tip for her excellent service. 

45. An old west gunslinger must survive a posse that is after him. 

46. The world's most deadly convicts are hired for an impossible adventure into the depths of space. 

47. A sailor decides to sail into the infamous Bermuda Triangle to find a lost friend.  

48. A town must survive the worst flood in history. 

49. Storm chasers must survive a unique weather system that creates multiple F5 tornadoes. 

50. A man that has uploaded his consciousness to a simulated reality fights to return to his real body and world.

51. A truck driver travels across the country as he's pursued by gangsters that want his cargo. 

52. An outcast nerd discovers that he's actually a revered prince from another planet, hidden by his royal family to escape an evil space lord. 

53. The story of the Titanic, but the Titanic is a luxury space cruiser that has hit a meteor made of ice. 

54. An astronaut stuck in cryosleep wakes up after his returning ship crashlands in medieval times. 

55. A Navy SEAL is shipwrecked on a deserted island full of vampires. 

56. A submarine crew discovers an underwater civilization of humans. 

57. An asteroid crashes into Earth as people struggle to survive. 

58. Archeologists unlock the mystery of the great pyramids. 

59. The world's last unicorn struggles to get to a safe world. 

60. A wizard from another realm must find a magical item lost on Earth before their evil counterpart does. 

61. A scientist finds the cure for cancer in the jungles but is pursued by a drug cartel wanting to sell it to the highest bidder. 

62. A space pilot goes on an interstellar race to find a coveted treasure. 

'Guardians of the Galaxy'

63. A family sailing the ocean waters must overcome the worst hurricane in history. 

64. Two escaped union soldiers with key intel must make their way through the southern battlefields of the Civil War-era United States. 

65. Old West train robbers must fight off infantry soldiers as the train races across the country. 

66. A Vietnam POW escapes a prisoner camp and struggles to make his way through the war-torn territories to freedom.

67. Criminals are now shipped into space on space prison ships as some try to escape. 

68. Peter Pan's mother tracks him down in Neverland. 

69. Competing treasure hunting families race on the open ocean waters to find a sunken treasure. 

70. A character within a Sim City-like game becomes self-aware and wants to escape to the real world. 

71.  A family vacationing in Hawaii unlocks a portal that transports them back in time. 

72. Asteroid miners struggle to survive an accident. 

73. A family of assassins must survive a syndicate's attempt to take them out while they're on vacation in Europe.

74. A family is transported back to the time of the dinosaurs and struggles to survive. 

75. A riverboat captain attempts the first trip down the Mississippi River. 

76. A futuristic gamer realizes what he thought was a virtual reality shooter game is actually real life. 

77. A movie director finds a way to transport his cast and crew back in time to save money on sets and wardrobes. 

78. Alien monsters chase the last living family on Earth across the country. 

79. A warrior is tasked with venturing to the Dark World to save a captive princess. 

80. A pirate that has fallen in love and wants to leave his pirate ways is chased down by his crew. 

81. Three swordsmen fight their way across a medieval world in search of Excalibur. 

'The Green Knight'

82. A select group of individuals is invited to partake in the ultimate scavenger hunt. 

83. A best-selling author is transported into the fantasy world of his novels. 

84. A science fiction movie director realizes that the world he created for his hit franchise is real. 

85. Siblings mourn the death of their grandpa, only to discover that he's left them an old treasure map.  

86. A witch curses a group of children, causing them to shrink to the size of ants. 

87. A family must find each other after the worst earthquake in human history. 

88. An ancestor of the real Van Helsing is hunted across Europe by vampires.  

89. An off-duty detective on a cruise vacation with his family must fend off terrorists that take over the ship. 

90. A special forces team is catapulted into the world of Wonderland. 

91. An astronaut marooned on the dark side of the moon must make his way to a landing site before it is too late.  

92. A wilderness firefighter must parachute into a wildfire to find a missing family. 

93. A special forces team must retreat back to their base as they are pursued by vampires awakened within an ancient village.  

94. A group of ghost hunters must find their way out of a haunted castle. 

95. A family snorkeling along a reef during vacation finds themselves trapped in an underwater world.  

96. A portal to another world opens during a sleepover. 

97. A conspiracy theorist manages to break into Area 51 and discovers that it houses portals to alien worlds. 

98. An action star is kidnapped and hunted down by a tribe that believes he is the real deal.  

99. Career criminals utilize a city-wide blackout for their crimes. 

100. Scientists travel back to the world of dinosaurs to find a long-dead plant that could save humankind from extinction. 

101. A screenwriter awakens in the world of his science fiction script and must find a way back home.  

'Adaptation'

Share this with your writing peers or anyone that loves a good adventure story. Have some prompts of your own? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter !

Want More Ideas? Take a Look at Our Other  Genre-Based Story Prompts !

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries  Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed , and many Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies

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101 Adventure Story Ideas Even Indiana Jones Would Love

Are you stuck in the mundane and looking for an escape into the thrilling world of adventure? Dive into this list of 101 Adventure Story Ideas that will ignite your creativity and transport you to places you've never imagined!

From treasure hunts in underwater worlds to journeys with Santa Claus, these story ideas cover every twist and turn, every thrill and chill, that an adventure enthusiast could desire. Whether you're a seasoned writer looking to add more excitement to your repertoire or a novice eager to embark on your first literary journey, these ideas will inspire you to start writing today!

Adventure story ideas

1. The Quest for the Lost City: A young boy and his family embark on an exciting adventure to discover a strange city hidden beneath the ocean waters.

2. A Flight of Discovery: Pilots discover an uncharted tropical island with a secret civilization that controls real life through ancient technology.

3. Treasure Hunters in Time: A team of treasure hunters stumble upon a time machine in an old dusty book, leading them to far-flung places and times.

4. Harry Potter's Christmas Adventure: Join Harry Potter on a special Christmas Eve journey through a fantasy world filled with new spells, secrets, and surprises.

5. The Video Game Reality: A group of college friends are sucked into a video game, facing challenges in an underwater world, a deserted island, and more.

6. The Plane Crash Survival: After a mysterious plane crash, a man wakes to find himself in a new world with strange creatures and unexplored lands.

7. The Sci-Fi Adventure: In a future world, an astronaut crash lands on an alien planet, where the line between science fiction and reality blurs.

8. A Hot Air Balloon Odyssey: A whimsical journey around the world in a hot air balloon, meeting extraordinary characters and visiting exotic locations.

9. Family's Treasure Map: A family finds a cryptic message leading to the same treasure that vanished centuries ago. What happens next is a thrilling chase.

10. The Witch's Curses: An ordinary person must break a series of witch curses in a fantasy world, using amazing fighting skills and wit.

11. Santa's Unexpected Journey: Join Santa Claus on an action-packed adventure as he faces challenges, makes new friends, and delivers gifts in unique ways.

12. A Good Adventure Story Writing Guide: A blog post comes to life, guiding an aspiring writer through various adventure writing prompts and exercises to enjoy writing.

13. The Young Girl's Dream: A little girl's dream takes her to magical realms, where she embarks on quests, solves puzzles, and learns life lessons.

14. The Time Machine's New Jacket: Customize a time machine with a new jacket of features, allowing characters to explore different times, worlds, and dimensions.

15. Real Life Adventure Stories: Write a collection of short stories based on real-life experiences, transforming ordinary events into extraordinary adventures.

16. The Destructive Meteor Shower's Secret: A series of meteor showers reveal cryptic messages and lead to the discovery of alien artifacts on Earth.

17. The Remote Control of Destiny: A mystical remote control allows a character to alter reality, leading to moral dilemmas, thrilling escapades, and unexpected twists.

18. Writing Adventure in Four Acts: A story within a story, where four different potential locations represent different stages of an author's life and creative journey.

19. The Quest for the Key Hidden Inside: A race to find a key hidden inside an ancient artifact, unlocking secrets, dangers, and rewards.

20. The Astronaut's Crash Landing on Christmas Eve: An astronaut crash lands back on Earth on Christmas Eve, leading to a heartfelt journey home.

21. Writing Prompts Come Alive: Each day, a new writing prompt from a mysterious dusty book becomes reality, taking the main character on a whirlwind adventure.

22. The Great Space Treasure Hunt: Space treasure hunters explore the galaxy, seeking riches and uncovering the mysteries of ancient civilizations.

23. Discover the New World: In a sci-fi setting, explorers discover a new world filled with challenges, wonders, and secrets that change their understanding of existence.

24. The Ideas Factory: In a world where ideas can be manufactured, stolen, and traded, an inventor embarks on an adventure to protect his most precious creation.

25. Two Children and the Magical Journey: Two children find a portal in their backyard, leading them to different worlds, each with unique lessons and magical experiences.

26. The Life-Changing Hot Air Balloon Ride: A life-changing adventure ensues when a character takes an unexpected hot air balloon ride, encountering wisdom and wonders.

27. The Deserted Island Mystery: Stranded on a deserted island, characters must solve mysteries, face challenges, and uncover the island's hidden secrets.

28. A Strange City in Another Dimension: Exploration of a strange city in another dimension, where physics, time, and society operate in mysterious ways.

29. The Cryptic Message from the Future: A cryptic message from the future sends characters on a quest to prevent a catastrophe, meeting intriguing characters along the way.

30. The Witch's School of Adventure Writing: A witch runs a school for adventure writing, where students learn through magical and real-world experiences.

31. The Action-Packed Life of an Ordinary Person: An ordinary person's life turns action-packed when they stumble upon a secret agency's plot and must stop it.

32. The Far-Flung Places of Fantasy: Characters travel to far-flung places in a fantasy world, each with unique customs, challenges, and treasures.

33. A Journey Through Exotic Locations with Santa Claus: Join Santa Claus as he takes a vacation, exploring exotic locations and learning about different cultures.

34. Adventure Genre School: A school that teaches the art of writing in the adventure genre, with real adventures as part of the curriculum.

35. The Treasure Hunters' Academy: A special academy for aspiring treasure hunters, teaching skills, ethics, and sending students on real treasure hunts.

36. The Time Machine Repairman: A repairman of time machines faces a moral dilemma when he discovers a plot to alter history for personal gain.

37. Underwater World Exploration: A team explores an uncharted underwater world, facing mysteries, mythical creatures, and the remnants of a lost civilization.

38. Astronaut's Creative Juices: An astronaut stranded on an alien planet uses his creative juices to survive, learn, and eventually escape.

39. A Young Boy's Adventure with Harry Potter: A young boy wins a contest to spend a day with Harry Potter, leading to unexpected adventures and magical lessons.

40. The Remote Control of Worlds: A remote control that allows the user to switch between parallel worlds, each with unique rules, dangers, and opportunities.

41. A Writer's Journey Through Stories: A writer gets lost in her own stories, each representing different aspects of her life, personality, and aspirations.

42. The Cryptic Message from the Dusty Book: An old dusty book in a library sends characters on a worldwide adventure through a series of cryptic messages.

43. A Family's Adventure in a Hot Air Balloon: A family wins a hot air balloon ride, turning into a magical journey through time, space, and imagination.

44. Two Children's Christmas Eve Adventure: Two children embark on a Christmas Eve adventure to save Santa's lost reindeer, meeting friends and foes along the way.

45. The Adventure Writing Championship: A competition where participants must write and live their own adventure stories, facing real challenges and rewards.

46. The Time Machine's New World: A malfunctioning time machine leads characters to a new world in a different timeline, full of unexpected twists and turns.

47. The Sci-Fi Writer's Life: A sci-fi writer's creations start to come to life, leading to a thrilling adventure to understand the phenomenon and control it.

48. The Quest for the Deserted Island's Treasure: A map to a deserted island's treasure leads characters on a perilous quest, facing rivals, dangers, and betrayals.

49. Santa Claus in the Future World: Santa Claus accidentally travels to a future world, where he must adapt, learn, and find a way back to his own time.

50. The Virtual Reality Adventure Writing Workshop: A virtual reality workshop where participants learn adventure writing by living their own creations.

51. The Ordinary Person's Extraordinary Life: An ordinary person discovers a journal that predicts the future, leading to adventures, moral dilemmas, and self-discovery.

52. The Little Girl's Time Machine: A little girl finds a pocket-sized time machine, taking her on adventures through history, learning valuable lessons.

53. The Treasure Hunters' Code: A group of ethical treasure hunters face off against ruthless rivals, following a code of conduct, and unraveling ancient mysteries.

54. A Story Within a Story: A writer's character takes control of the narrative, leading to a back-and-forth adventure where reality and fiction intertwine.

55. The Astronaut's Crash into a Fantasy World: An astronaut crash lands into a fantasy world, facing mythical challenges, magical allies, and a journey back home.

56. The Ocean Waters Mystery: An adventure on the high seas leads to the discovery of a sunken city, ancient prophecies, and the untold secrets of the ocean waters.

57. The Adventure Genre's Ultimate Guide: Write a meta-story exploring the elements, history, and variations of the adventure genre, with fictional examples.

58. The Amazing Fighting Skills Academy: A school that teaches amazing fighting skills, intertwined with honor, discipline, and a series of adventurous challenges.

59. The Short Stories Adventure Challenge: Characters must live through a series of short stories, each representing a challenge and a lesson in a grand quest.

60. A Man Wakes in Four Different Potential Locations: A man wakes each day in one of four different potential locations, unraveling a mystery that connects them all.

61. The New Jacket's Adventures: A magical new jacket grants its wearer different abilities and leads them on adventures, each connected to a larger plot.

62. The Story Starter's Real Life Adventures: A collection of story starters that become real adventures for those who read them, with each adventure teaching a life lesson.

63. The Family Finds a Portal: A family finds a portal in their basement, leading to different worlds and times, each with unique adventures and moral quandaries.

64. A Young Boy's Journey to Become Santa Claus: A young boy must undertake a magical journey to become the next Santa Claus, facing trials, lessons, and joys.

65. The Real Life Adventure Writing Workshop: A workshop that sends participants on real-life adventures, challenging them to write about their experiences.

66. The Tropical Island's Time Travel Mystery: Stranded on a tropical island, characters discover a time travel mystery, unraveling the island's secrets across different eras.

67. The Astronaut Crash Lands in a Strange City: An astronaut crash lands in a strange city where time behaves oddly, leading to a mind-bending adventure to escape.

68. The Most Readers' Adventure: Write an interactive story where most readers can influence the plot, characters, and outcomes through choices and feedback.

69. The Hot Air Balloon's Time Travels: A hot air balloon capable of time travel takes characters on historical adventures, meeting famous figures and witnessing key events.

70. A Deserted Island's Hidden World: Explorers discover a hidden world beneath a deserted island, filled with ancient technology, creatures, and secrets.

71. The Writing Adventure of a Lifetime: A young writer's life becomes a series of adventures as each writing prompt comes to life, building towards a grand climax.

72. The Far Flung Places of a Future World: In a future world, adventurers explore far flung places, uncovering new civilizations, wonders, and cosmic mysteries.

73. The College Friends' Amazing Fighting Skills Challenge: College friends participate in a tournament of amazing fighting skills, with deeper plots and secrets at play.

74. Two Children and the Destructive Meteor Shower: Two children must prevent a destructive meteor shower with the help of a mysterious scientist, time travel, and courage.

75. The Adventure of Writing and Living: A philosophical exploration of the adventure of writing, living, and the intertwining of the two, through narratives and reflections.

76. The Man Wakes to a New World Every Day: A man wakes to a new world every day, each with different rules, cultures, and challenges, seeking a way back home.

77. The Underwater World's Treasure Hunters: Treasure hunters explore an underwater world in search of legendary riches, facing sea monsters, pirates, and enigmas.

78. The Christmas Eve Hot Air Balloon Ride with Santa Claus: A magical Christmas Eve hot air balloon ride with Santa Claus, visiting different parts of the world.

79. The Ordinary Person's Adventure Writing Journey: An ordinary person embarks on a guided adventure writing journey, discovering hidden talents, dreams, and life purpose.

80. The Deserted Island's Time Capsule: Explorers find a time capsule on a deserted island, leading to a series of adventures unraveling historical mysteries and connections.

81. The Creative Juices of a Sci-Fi Writer: A sci-fi writer's creative juices lead to groundbreaking ideas, which attract the attention of mysterious forces, leading to adventure.

82. A Young Boy's Adventures in Four Different Potential Locations: A young boy experiences adventures in four different potential locations, each representing a season and life lesson.

83. The Astronaut's Crash and the Deserted Island: An astronaut crash lands on a deserted island in space, facing alien flora, fauna, and a struggle for survival.

84. A Family Finds Magic on Christmas Eve: A family finds a magical artifact on Christmas Eve, leading to adventures with elves, talking animals, and holiday magic.

85. Two Children and the Adventure Writing Quest: Two children discover a book that guides them on a quest to learn adventure writing, living through magical experiences.

86. The Short Stories of Ordinary People: A collection of short stories depicting the extraordinary adventures of ordinary people in everyday situations.

87. The Time Machine's Quest for Ideas: Characters use a time machine to gather ideas from history's greatest minds, leading to adventures, debates, and inspiration.

88. The Exotic Locations of a Future World Explorer: A travelogue of exotic locations in a future world, with adventures, discoveries, and reflections on humanity's progress.

89. The Treasure Hunters' New World Odyssey: Treasure hunters embark on an odyssey in a new world, facing unknown landscapes, creatures, cultures, and treasures.

90. The Sci-Fi Adventure of Two Children: Two children in a sci-fi setting embark on an adventure to save their world from a cosmic threat, using intelligence and courage.

91. The Journey to Discover Life's Meaning: Characters embark on a philosophical adventure to discover life's meaning, encountering wisdom, challenges, and enlightenment.

92. The Adventure of a Little Girl and a Dusty Book: A little girl finds an old dusty book that comes to life, taking her on adventures through different stories and times.

93. The Adventure Genre's Creative Juices: An exploration of the adventure genre, with interactive writing exercises to unleash the creative juices of aspiring writers.

94. The Blog Post's Guide to Adventure Writing Prompts: A living blog post that guides readers through adventure writing prompts, challenges, and interactive experiences.

95. The World's Most Action-Packed Hot Air Balloon Ride: An action-packed hot air balloon ride around the world, facing natural wonders, dangers, and thrilling escapades.

96. The Writing Prompts that Changed Lives: A series of writing prompts that not only inspire stories but change the lives of those who write them, with mystical connections.

97. The Treasure Hunters' Deserted Island Dilemma: Treasure hunters face dilemmas, moral quandaries, and surprises on a deserted island, leading to unexpected treasures.

98. The Time Traveling Hot Air Balloon's Adventure: A time-traveling hot air balloon takes its passengers on an adventure through time, facing history's challenges and joys.

99. The Young Writer's Journey to the Future World: A young writer travels to a future world, exploring innovations, civilizations, and ideas, while facing challenges and adventures.

100. The Writing Adventure of Creative Souls: Creative souls embark on a writing adventure to unlock their potential, face their fears, and discover the power of words.

101. The Adventure of Readers and Characters : A meta-adventure where readers and characters interact, influence each other, and explore the boundaries of storytelling.

The adventures are boundless, and the worlds are waiting to be explored. With these 101 adventure story ideas, your creative juices will never run dry, and your readers will be on the edge of their seats. Grab your pen, keyboard, or dusty old notebook, and start crafting the exciting adventure within your imagination.

Frequently Asked Questions About Adventure Story Ideas (FAQs)

What are adventure story ideas, and how can they ignite my creative juices.

Adventure story ideas are the sparks that can lead to thrilling tales of exploration, discovery, and excitement. Whether it's treasure hunters seeking the same treasure, or an ordinary person exploring far-flung places, these ideas can flow like a destructive meteor shower of inspiration.

How Can I Create an Exciting Adventure with Real-Life Elements?

Mix your adventure story with real-life experiences. Imagine what happens next after a plane crashes on a deserted island. Draw inspiration from the strange city you once visited or the tropical island vacation you enjoyed with college friends.

Can I Add Science Fiction Elements to My Adventure Writing?

Absolutely! Think of an astronaut crash in a future world or a time machine that controls real life. Science fiction adds a new layer to adventure stories, taking readers to exotic locations and unexplored galaxies.

Where Can I Find Writing Prompts for a Fantasy World Adventure?

Adventure writing prompts can be found in various blog post collections or even hidden like a key inside an old dusty book. They can guide you to create a fantasy world filled with witch curses, magical creatures like Harry Potter, or even a Christmas Eve celebration in a realm of ice and fire.

How to Write an Adventure Story About a Young Boy?

Crafting a good adventure story about a young boy involves adding elements like fantastic fighting skills, a hot air balloon journey, or a mysterious, cryptic message leading to a secret treasure. Keep the characters lively and the journey filled with surprises.

What Makes a Story Starter Effective for Short Stories?

A story starter acts as the ignition for short stories. Whether it's when a family finds an old map or Santa Claus unexpectedly crashes into your living room, a strong starter can make the reader's journey as thrilling as a ride in a remote control flying car.

Are There Any Ideas to Write an Adventure with Video Game Themes?

Video game themes are rich in adventure possibilities. Imagine characters unlocking new world levels, battling foes in underwater worlds, or finding potential locations for secret bases. This approach can appeal to most readers, especially those who enjoy gaming.

Can You Share Some Adventure Writing Tips for an Action Packed Sci-Fi Story?

An action-packed sci-fi story could feature pilots discovering a new world or an adventure to save the universe from a destructive meteor shower. Don't forget to add a new jacket of technology, intriguing characters, and perhaps even a twist where the hero controls real life through a futuristic device.

How to Start Writing a Quest Involving a Little Girl and Her Family?

Start writing with an intriguing scenario. Perhaps a little girl and her family embark on a quest to find a lost artifact. Introduce elements like stories of ancient legends, exploration of ocean waters, and the thrill of the unexpected. Let the journey unfold!

Can I Include My Own Life in Adventure Writing?

Your life experiences can enrich your adventure writing. Have you ever felt like a treasure hunter or explored four potential locations for a hidden gem? Draw from those emotions and memories to create a tapestry of ideas that resonate with readers.

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20 Fun Adventure Writing Prompts And Story Ideas

There’s a reason that adventure stories like Harry Potter are so popular. Kids, teenagers, and even adults love to use their imaginations and picture themselves going on a wild adventure. Writing adventure stories is equally enjoyable for the same reason. Starting an adventure story can be challenging for students, but with these fun adventure writing prompts and story ideas your students will be able to easily start their fun adventure story. Before we take a look at these adventure story starters, first let’s talk about what adventure stories are.

What Are Adventure Stories?

Adventure stories follow a certain formula. They include a hero who is going on a journey or quest in an unfamiliar environment . For example, in Lord Of The Rings, the ‘hero’ (Frodo) leaves his hometown and sets off on a quest to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom. In adventure stories, there’s almost always a villain and a certain element of risk . As an adventure story progresses, the main character usually transforms from an ordinary person into a hero.

Fun Adventure Writing Prompts And Story Ideas

Here are 20 fun adventure writing prompts and story ideas:

• You find a flute in the forest. When you play it, you are transported to another world. What’s the world like? How do you get back home?
• One day, in P.E. class, you fall and bump your head. When you get home, you can understand everything your pet is saying. What does your pet say? What adventures do you and your pet have next?
• On  Christmas  eve, Santa clause crashes his sleigh in your backyard. He needs your help to deliver all the presents before Christmas day. How do you help?
• You move into a new house and find an old board game covered in dust. You decide to play the game, and when you roll the dice, you get sucked into a different world. What’s it like there? How do you escape?
• Some equipment malfunctions while working in a laboratory on a top-secret project. The next day, you start to notice strange new powers. What powers do you have? What do you do with your new powers?
• Your father is an inventor. You go into his office and find a ‘ray gun’. You accidentally fire it, it hits you, and you shrink to the size of an ant. What happens next?
• While on vacation in Europe, you get lost in the backstreets of a city. There, you discover a portal that transports you back in time to World War 2. What do you do there?
• While cleaning your room, you discover an old dusty book. You open it, and there is a key hidden inside. What does the key open?
• You visit a charity store and buy a cool jacket there. When you put it on, you suddenly become invisible. What adventures do you get up to with your new jacket?
• You go for a walk in a forest and get lost. As night falls, the trees and plants begin to talk. What do they say?
• The year is 3022, and your cleaning robot starts behaving strangely. You look outside, and all the other robots appear to be malfunctioning. What happens next?
• While trekking in the jungle, you come across some ancient ruins. In the center is a pool of clear water. What happens when you drink the water?
• While cleaning the attic, you discover a tiny door. When you go through it, you are transported into the mind of somebody famous and can control what they do for a day. Who is the famous person? What adventures do you get up to?
• At school, you discover a ghost. The ghost has some unfinished business and needs your help. How do you help the ghost?
• Halfway through a 7-month journey to Mars, your ship gets struck by cosmic rays. What damage does it cause? What do you do to make it to Mars safely?
• You have a time machine, and you travel back to prehistoric times. There, you kill a mosquito. When you return to the present day, the world is entirely different. What’s this world like now?
• You drop and break your T.V remote control. You put it back together, and suddenly it controls real life. What happens next?
• You find an old cell phone while clearing out your desk. You charge it up and suddenly receive a call. It’s a detective from the past who needs help solving a crime. What happens next?
• While shopping for antique furniture, you come across an antique mirror that catches your eye. What happens when you look in the mirror?
• During a thunderstorm, you get struck by lightning. The next day, you start having visions of crimes that haven’t taken place yet. What do you do next?

Download PDF

Download these adventure writing prompts as a printable PDF.

Fantasy Writing Prompts Quick Writing Prompts 4th Grade Writing Prompts

37 Adventure Writing Prompts

It’s time to spark the creative process, and what better way than to get thrown into a dramatic adventure story setting.

What I love about this is that it works so well for the full spectrum of writers from young to old – and reluctant to unstoppable wordsmiths.

An exciting adventure premise for your story is a fantastic place to get started writing, and it just right away allows the creativity to take over and weave the tale…

How should I use these adventure story ideas?

Well firstly, let me just say that they certainly don’t have to inspire just writing stories about adventuring!

While many do throw you into the midst of an adrenaline pumping action story moment, the most important thing in my opinion is that the writer is inspired to start writing immediately.

This is where the power of prompts lies, as right away you have a kernel around which to let the story unfold.

The flexibility of using story starters like this also means that a writers can get underway whether you are coming to it just looking for a daily writing challenge, or a teacher whose students are all getting randomly assigned their own story topic from the list below!

Using prompts in the classroom

For those teachers and homeschoolers most interested in how to go about using these with kids writing in your class, I’ve actually used a few different methods, as follows:

Print them out and let the kids pick their random topic out of a hat. This one always get a good reaction – and that heightened excitement around the writing activity I think is a good thing!

2. The choice

Put the whole list up on screen or otherwise, and let your class have the whole list, and allow them free-reign over what story starter they choose.

3. The assigned

Of course another option is just to hand out a topic to each student to write about – and it is worth noting that there is actually something to be said for the challenge of being handed a starting point of a story and needing to develop it.

4. The same

Or if you’d like to mix it up a bit, why not select one writing prompt and give that to the entire class? You and the class will have fun hearing how many different stories emerged from the same single starting point!

The Writing Prompts:

• The ice axe struck the craggy wall, and seemed to be holding…
• The hot air balloon drifted higher and higher, until the town below could barely be seen…
• The roar of the crowd in the street was deafening, as the bulls came stampeding around the corner…
• Then suddenly through the dense jungle, there was a sound…
• The churning water of the rapids swirled around the kayak…
• The walls of the log cabin were strong, but so was the bear she could hear lumbering around outside…
• One foot in front of the other, his heart racing he stepped out onto the tightrope which spanned the chasm…
• Ahead lay the desert dunes, stretching off over the horizon, but it was the only way…
• The crashing waves wrenched her from her deep slumber, how many days and nights had passed…
• From this mountain top he could see from one side of the island to the other, all the way to the shimmering sea on either side ..
• The sides of the tent moved in the night, rustling quietly as the forest around him creaked in the wind…
• The Huskies barked and yipped excitedly as the dog sled started moving more quickly…
• The axe thudded into the tree once again, and with a great cracking sound it started to fall…
• Their guide was experienced, and they’d seen far more animals on this safari than they’d expected, but nothing had prepared them for this…
• They had been trekking through the jungle for days, and now here it was in front of them, the towering lost temples that had been swallowed up by the dense vines…
• The wind roared in her ears as her bike flew down the twisting mountain road, the wheels hub whirring loudly as she went faster and faster…
• The ankle was not broken, thank goodness, but she could not put any weight on it. How was she going to get out of this one she wondered…
• The alligator was enormous, curling through the water behind his canoe as he made his way through the murky swamp…
• Her fingers clung to the rocky ledge, as she looked back down to see how far she’d climbed…
• The air near the rim of the volcano was acrid, and stung the nostrils…
• The torch began to flicker, the only light he had so far down in this cave system…
• She followed the arc of the Zipline, scanning across to the distant cliff where it ended…
• The scuba mask gave her a clear little window into the underwater world she was visiting, and she kicked her fins to dive deeper towards the shipwreck…
• The hangglider flapped quietly above him, the only noise he could hear so high up above the earth…
• The sharks were getting closer now, bumping and jostling the cage she was in beneath the ocean surface…
• Stepping out on stage, her heart was racing as the crowd roared, but she knew this was the moment she had been working so hard to get to…
• Adrenalin pumped through her veins as she prepared to jump out of the door of the tiny plane, her parachute strapped to her back…
• He could feel a gentle downward slope in the tunnel that they’d been exploring, but just how deep underground was it taking them…
• Looking up into the sky he could see the giant eagle circling above him…
• They could smell smoke and see the first embers starting to fall around them, the forest fire was getting closer and they had to go…
• The ship rose and fell with the icy ocean, and the polar bears turned and watched as we drifted closer to shore…
• The howling of wolves in the mountains behind our cabin made the sturdy door and roaring logfire feel all the better…
• I’d never felt as alive as I did in that moment…
• This morning I’d walked out my front door not expecting anything outside the ordinary, and yet here I was just a few hours later, looking around me and astonished at what I saw…
• I pulled the rug from the middle of the room, and there as the mysterious stranger had told me, was an ancient trapdoor…
• The painting of my ancestors hung on the wall, towering above us, and when I pulled at the side, it swung open to reveal a locked safe…
• I woke before dawn, slung my pack over my shoulder and set off on the adventure of a lifetime…

Enjoy writing your story!

I really enjoy hearing from our community about all the creative things that have stemmed from what we make available here.

You might also like our winter writing prompts or our fantasy story prompts .

Make sure you check back often as we are adding several new things each week for you to use for free 🙂

If you’ve got any requests for types or topics of more story starters, let me know!

25 Hero’s Journey Story Ideas to Start an Epic Adventure

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

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The hero's journey is one of the most beloved and popular story frameworks in books and film. Today we have 25 prompts with hero's journey story ideas, so you can write your own epic adventure tale!

If you've watched any one of George Lucas's Star Wars films, read or watched any of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books or films then you've experienced the hero's journey. I've walked my creative writing classes through these stories numerous times, helping them identify and emulate the story principles. 

Part of what makes these stories so compelling is that they follow a character from their ordinary life into an adventure they couldn't have imagined, leading to personal transformation.

You can see David Stafford's (our resident expert on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey Story Structure) Ultimate Guide to the Hero's Journey here if you want to see a complete breakdown of the heroic journey that creates these character arcs. 

While there are twelve stages or phases in a traditional hero's journey story, I've organized these prompts in the three essential stages: the departure, the initiation, and the return. You can combine these into a story or use them individually to fuel just one section of your larger story. 

Try one and see how it pushes your character out of their normal life and into a hero venture! 

Hero's Journey Story Ideas for the Departure

This opening stage is all about establishing a would-be hero's everyday life, revealing the status quo, and then disrupting it. What's expected of this character in their current state? What do they believe about themselves? 

The departure stage requires the hero to leave that mundane life, that familiar world behind to begin their adventure that will happen in a series of stages. The departure includes: the Ordinary World , the Call to Adventure and Refusal of the Call , Meet the Mentor , and the Crossing of the Threshold .

1. Create a scene where your character is frustrated or in trouble at their current workplace or home. Avoid a wake-up scene unless you can make it compelling.

2. Show your character doing their favorite activity when it gets interrupted with something inconsequential.

3. Show your character interacting with a pesky sibling, challenging family member, or sometimes friend. 

4. What problem will arise in your character's community that will necessitate them leaving home to solve it? 

5. Create a major threat to your character's favorite place or person , preferably one that could be extended to the entire community. 

6. Describe the insecurities that plague your character, focusing on ones that will inform their refusal of the call to adventure. 

7. Create a mentor (or two or three!) that will inspire your character to think beyond their current limitations and plant a seed of inspiration. What kind of person or being will best speak into your character's specific fears?

8. Write the scene where the character accepts the call and leaves home to begin the adventure. 

Hero's Journey Story Ideas for the Initiation Stage

The initiation stage includes Trials, Allies, and Enemies ; Approach to the Inmost Cave ; The Ordeal ; and The Reward .

This next part, the initiation, is usually the longest in a story, loosely from the inciting incident to the end of the climax (and immediate repercussions). This is a place to play—get creative with the trials, the complications, and the ultimate battle.

9. Make a list of your hero's strengths and weaknesses. Now, create a trial or an antagonist that can challenge each of those traits. 

10. Write a scene where your hero meets an unexpected ally on their journey . 

11. Create a fantastical challenge or physical obstacle in the world where your story is set. Drop your hero and one other character into the situation and force them to fight their way through it. 

12. Write a scene where the hero faces something they think will be easy, but it challenges them in an unexpected (and humbling way).

13. How will your character take on a new physical look during the initiation phase? How will their build, clothing, features change? Write the description , including an outline of how it happens. 

14. Create a creature who the hero will approach as a threat. What happens in the face-off? Will the creature remain foe? or become a friend?

15. The character archetype of the shadow (sometimes called the villain) appears during the approach to the inmost cave. The villain is the dark side of the hero. Write a scene where the hero misuses their power and prowess—then see if you can adapt it for the shadow OR use it to help the hero grow. 

16. Write a scene where the hero faces their toughest foe, the scene where they are not sure they can beat evil.

17. Consider how the fight has become even more personal for the hero. Write about what they believe they are fighting for now. Make sure the stakes are high.

Hero's Journey Story Ideas for the Return

Finally, the Return stage shows off how our hero has changed, how the internal transformation has now manifested as an external change as the hero fully embraces their new status and learning.

It includes the final stages of the journey structure: The Road Back , The Resurrection , and the Return with the Elixir . 

18. Write a scene (or a list!) where the hero recounts what they have lost on the journey. 

19. Write a scene where the hero has achieved what they hoped, but somehow it falls short of what they thought it would be to them.

20. Write out the worst thing that could happen on the hero's way back home. How will they face it?

21. Describe (or draw!) a map of the hero's way home. Will they return the same way or go a new direction? What have they learned? 

22. Write a scene where your hero makes a significant sacrifice to defeat evil, preferably on behalf of their community.

23. Write a scene where the hero encounters a setback on their way home, either physical or relational. Make sure they are using their newfound confidence to solve the problem. 

24. Make a list of possible “elixirs” or rewards your hero could bring back from their adventure. Think about what is broken or important to their community and what that physical object will mean to them. Choose one elixir and write the moment the hero presents it. 

25. Write a hero's celebration feast scene. 

Now you try! 

The hero's journey structure can push you as a writer to focus on character development in addition to its opportunities for action and world building. Try one of these prompts today in your writing time and see where it leads!

Choose one of the prompts above. Set your timer for fifteen minutes and write. When finished, post your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here , and I hope you'll share feedback and encouragement with a few other writers. Help those heroes shine! 

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

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Creative Writing Prompts

26 Remarkable Comments

Welcome to the creative writing prompts page! What you can find here is a MASSIVE collection of 63 quality writing exercises (basically, each one is a mini-story of its own, with a twist). This is going to be so much fun, and all while you improve your story writing skills.

You can find all kinds of creative writing exercises here. All of them are fiction writing prompts, and they cover almost every genre, plus you can find creative writing prompts about dialogue, characters, plot, for writer’s block, and much, much more…

Interesting Writing Prompts

This is not the usual stuff. I tried to make these writing prompts intriguing. Most of them are complete scenes and even mini-stories.

You can have them. Yes, you own all the rights, even if you base your entire novel on them and get it published and earn a million dollars for the movie rights. They are all yours.

To become a really good story writer, there is only one thing you need to do: Write! And these creative writing prompts should inspire you to write. They should fire your brain up and make your fingers itch.

With each of these prompts, you can train one specific aspect of your writing; either a genre, or your dialogue or story starter skills, etc…

Post Your Prompt

Also, pick your favorite creative writing prompt, do it, and post it in the comments! Let’s make this a page for everybody to share their creative writing. The more you guys comment and actually do these prompts, the more prompts I will add in the future.

Creative Writing Prompts PDF

To top it all off, you can also download these prompts. Find a neat PDF collection of all the prompts here:

Fun Creative Writing Prompts – Index

(Click on the genre to get to the prompts)

1. Romance Writing Prompts

2. Mystery Writing Prompts/Suspense Writing Prompts

3. Fantasy Writing Prompts

4. Science Fiction Writing Prompts

5. Horror Writing Prompts

6. Thriller Writing Prompts

7. Adventure Writing Prompts

8. Action Writing Prompts

9. Historical/Medieval Writing Prompts

10. Dialogue Writing Prompts

11. Character Writing Prompts

12. Plot Writing Prompts

13. Short Story Writing Prompts

14. Writing Prompts with Pictures

15. Writing Prompts for Writer’s Block

16. Story Starters Writing Prompts

17. Unusual Creative Writing Prompts

Bonus: Other Writing Prompts Websites

Writing Prompts that don’t suck: List of Writing Prompts

Romance writing prompts.

[ Read detailed tips about how to write a romantic scene her e . ]

Writing Prompt 1:

On the night before his marriage, Robert gets a visit. It’s Rachel, the girl that grew up next door and has been his best friend ever since. They had always pushed back any feelings for each other, “we are just friends.” (Yeah, right…!).

Now Rachel bursts into is home in a last, unexpected try to convince Robert he is marrying the wrong woman and she and he are meant for each other. But a ceremony for 150 guests is already arranged. After a lot of passionate talk and tears, Rachel gets him to agree to a game: “Can you guess what I would do…?” They both jot down 10 questions plus their hidden answers. Whoever can guess more of the other’s answers right, wins.

Will Rachel win and they will spend the night on a bus, escaping the wedding? Or will Robert win and watch devastated Rachel walk off into the night, frustration in his heart and tears in his eyes? You decide!

How you can make this scene shine:

Make the scene captivating by showing the reader why these two are meant for each other: Let them remember what they appreciate so much in each other (show, don’t tell), the special moments they shared, show the missed romantic opportunities, and how they complement each other perfectly.

Your reader will hope and fear with them and be hooked to your scene like it was her own love story.

Writing Prompt 2:

Gwen and Christopher have been married for 20 years. One night Gwen finds bright red lipstick on the collar of his jacket. Infuriated, she grabs one of his golf clubs, and swings at his car till it looks worse than a bicycle under a freight train.

When she is exhausted and breaks down crying, Christopher can finally explain what happened: Christopher had been with his Chinese language student group. They all had been on their way to a Chinese restaurant for a change, and it had been raining. He lent his jacket to one of his Chinese language students to protect her from the rain. That’s when the lipstick got on the shirt.

Will Gwen believe him and end up sobbing and relieved in his arms? Or will she not believe one word and soon continue with Chris’ Chinese porcelain collection? You decide!

Leave the reader in the dark about why the lipstick really is on the jacket as long as possible, keep the suspense vibrant. Describe Gwen’s pain and the destruction of Chris’ beloved car in energetic detail, so the reader will live with them as if it was their own (heart and car).

Writing Prompt 3:

King Kong, the giant, roaring ape, falls in sweet love with his female counterpart, Queen Kong. While he was terrorizing New York, she was keeping Chicago on its toes. They meet for a date somewhere in the middle, in a dreamy forest (burning trees instead of candlelight, etc…).

They share a romantic dinner (living cattle, farmers…) and discover their common interests: They both love tearing down skyscrapers, putting police cars on top of billboard ads and eating humongous bananas. And oh, don’t even get me started on the sex…

Will these lonely apes form a bond that helps their love survive against all odds/outer resistance? Or will the egomaniacs in them gain the upper hand and tear their love apart? You decide!

How do you express your love when you are a hairy monster the size of a skyscraper? What would be different, what would be absurd? Emphasize the strange contrast between tender feelings and a gigantic physique. Your reader will find their obstacles very different, but equally painful to his own, and love you for it.

Writing Prompt 4:

Lucas has fallen in love with his dentist. His teeth are very healthy, but he is coming into Jasmin’s practice for the third time within three months, in the hope he will be capable of asking her out in a quiet moment, when nobody is listening.

Unfortunately, the doctor has three assistants and one secretary, and even the door to the waiting room doesn’t look too soundproof… Lucas feels like he is on stage in a Shakespearian comedy. Jasmin, on the other hand, lightly makes fun of him, calling him a hypochondriac.

Will Lucas finally have the balls to follow through with his plan? Or will he have to come for a fourth time? Will Jasmin sense what’s up, and will she be attracted or just annoyed? You decide!

Emphasize the contrast between the nonchalant everyday business of the doctor and her assistants, and Lucas’ timid desire to ask her out. Whatever angle he takes, he is running out of time and of Jasmin’s professional attention. How does he feel? Describe his troubled inner life, and your reader will identify strongly and feel for him.

Additional Romance Writing Prompt:

Also see the SF bonus prompt here . It’s a double prompt for two genres, romance and science fiction.

Mystery Writing Prompts/Suspense Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 5:

Animal-loving Naomi is at her parents’ holiday home. She is observing a small hut at the forest edge. A van shows up there on three nights back to back. Each time, it seems to pick up something. Naomi sees dark silhouettes sneaking around with flashlights.

One night she decides to sneaks closer, and through a gap in the curtains sees a stack of antlers and fur: She has discovered the sinister doings of poachers. Will Naomi alert the police, or will she be so furious she decides to act on her own? Will she stay undiscovered once the van’s headlights show up on the hill? You decide!

Make the readers wonder “What the heck is going on…?” as often as possible, it will make for a suspenseful story. Show how kind, smart and brave Naomi is, so readers fear for her life. Then make the bad guys come.

Writing Prompt 6:

Paris, 19 th century: Detective Beaumont follows his suspect Forestier, who is wearing a long trench coat. He believes Forestier to be the long hunted for “rose murderer.” That murderer always leaves the rare rose variety “Farewell” on his victims’ bodies. The rose can only be bought in one shop in Paris, and if Forestier walks to that shop today, it is almost certain he is the murderer.

Indeed Forestier’s ways lead him to the flower shop in question. When he comes out, the detective follows him into a narrow street to arrest him. He lays his hands on his shoulders, but once he turns him, he sees that it’s not Forestier – he has been played! The real Forestier must have left the flower shop through a back door, and is now up to who-knows-what…

Will that second person have another trap in store for Detective Beaumont? Will the detective get to Forestier before bad things happen? You decide!

Get into the detective’s head! Show his enthusiasm about finding the long sought-after murderer, his doubts, his shock at the discovery! Show the looming danger he is in. It will make for a terrifyingly good scene…

Writing Prompt 7:

Jeremy has a neighbor whose wife has been missing for months. Jeremy is sitting in his living room, watching a documentary about the most beautiful graveyards of the world. It says that the human body and bones are excellent fertilizers and make plants grow like crazy.

He looks out the window and that huge, blooming rose bush in his neighbor’s garden catches his eye. It’s elevated on a small hill of loose soil, and it’s even more striking, as the rest of his garden is barren ground. Suddenly, Jeremy remembers that the name of his neighbor’s wife is Rose…

In this scene, a lot is happening on a mental level, and little on a physical level. Dive into Jeremy’s somber thoughts and his shocking suspicion. But at the same time, remain some outside stimulus going: E.g. Describe images of the documentary, the landscape of the garden, a clock striking ten, etc… It makes for a well-balanced scene.

Fantasy Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 8:

The four goblins Hukput, Paddycest, Nixxle and Klozzik are on their way to the cave of the Redwing dragon Isidur. They carry a delicious moore rabbit steak with minty potatoes. They plan to present it to him as humble offering of submission, but in reality the dish is soaked with a sleeping potion so they can rob his enormous pile of golden cups, chains and ducats. Will Isidur smell the bait? Or will his loud snoring fill the cave while the goblins hastily get away with as much gold as they can carry? You decide!

Describe how the deceitful goblins try to get suspicious Isidur to devour their dish. Which tactics do they employ? They are so small, and the dragon is so powerful, but will they nevertheless outsmart him? Describe the wide, majestic nature of the landscape and the cave. Tricky and powerful creatures as well as moody sceneries make for a great fantasy story.

Writing Prompt 9:

Magician Axius is potent, old and absent-minded. He wants to put a spell on his best cooking spoon so it should cook his favorite meal, chicken with sweet pepper. But he gets a detail in the spell wrong. The spoon starts to brutally attack all of the chickens in the patio.

Which unlikely places does the spoon go to while Axius is after it? How does Axius make his way through the terrified flock of chickens? And which spells does he use when trying to calm down his good spoon? You decide!

Time to try some “cute,” homespun fantasy! Lay out the small worries of a big magician. Even he needs to take care of overexcited pets and unruly household goods some time. It’s just that he has more powerful ways to deal with them…

Writing Prompt 10:

Two bored dwarfs, Onyx and Hafax, guard a castle’s entrance. They get into an argument who can throw stones further. While they prove their skills to each other, unfortunately a stone hits a giant who is sleeping in the castle ditch. She comes after them furiously. Will she smash their surprised faces to porridge, or can the resilient dwarfs talk her out of it? You decide!

Show the simple, but competitive nature of the dwarfs. They feel strong and then suddenly very weak… Describe the frightening power of the giant. Show your readers a world of many wonders that only exist in fantasy.

Writing Prompt 11:

The ogre Grawczak is invited to a talk show about strange creatures. Believing in the best intentions of TV and eager to help make races understand each other better, he accepts. The vicious questions on air take him by surprise: “Why do ogres smell so bad; don’t they care other people are disgusted?” and “What does human flesh taste like?”

Will Grawczak just freeze in face of the bright studio lights and endure the process? Will he let them provoke him and look really bad? Or will he just eat the moderator with some spices? You decide!

Describe how helpless the big ogre feels in face of the media. Contrast it with the sensational malice of the moderator. If you can paint the ogre as a likeable being, your readers will root for him strongly. If only we understood ogres better, the world would be a more peaceful place!

Science Fiction Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 12:

It’s an intergalactic poker tournament. Different races from different galaxies have come together. On one of the tables, the only players left are Froggosaurus, The Big Dust, Rhonda Seventeen-Tentacle and the Red Snailman.

Snailman is doing really well, too well for Rhonda. She suddenly reaches out behind his ear and pulls out a mindreader chip! Will the angry players grill Snailman, or will he be able to flee? Maybe an angry/apologetic dialogue ensues that ends with a bargain? You decide!

Writing Prompt 13:

In 2230, humans have conquered Mars. Automated skytrains run through its red desserts. One of these is stopped by a technical glitch at rush hour. The doors are stuck. When the passengers hear the voice of the control system robot through the loudspeakers, they realize the full extent of the disaster…

The system has come to the conclusion that it’s now superior to its creators, and it is planning to take over. It will open the hydraulic doors for the passengers and allow them to leave, under one condition: They have to chain three programmers in the group to a grabpole in the train and leave them behind. It becomes obvious that the system wants to eliminate the last persons that could still endanger its rule: The most talented programmers…

Will the passengers yield to the insane robot’s demand in order to save their lives? Will they try a trick and risk it all? You decide!

Writing Prompt 14:

Zwooshers look like fluffy, pink, door-high pet giraffes – you just want to cuddle them. But their looks are deceiving! They are actually plundering, reckless space pirates.

In the meeting hall, their captain Haab (eye patch, ruffled plush fur, wooden foot, spacemaid tattoo…) holds an inflammatory speech to hype up his crew. They are about to take the freight space ship that showed up on their radar. The ship must carry at least 65 tons of wood shavings, and Haab wants to take them all!

The crew is all hyped up and ready to go, when Haab trips over his wooden leg and falls off the stage. It looks pretty pathetic for a heroic leader. Will the crew just take this as a sign that chaos and plundering can now ensue, and storm forward? Or will this end the captain’s authority and make the horde want to feed him to the Spacephins? You decide!

Writing Prompt 15:

In 2075, the company Cryptofreeze™ offers the simplest, most effective method to time-travel into the future: They freeze your complete organism and defrost you after the desired period of time. Raul Morales was president of Payadua for 12 years. The laws state that he can’t run for office again for the following 4 terms (24 years). His solution is to get frosted for that period.

He is unfrozen in a big televised show that is transmitted directly into the communication chips of the population’s brains. The show features his frozen body in a transparent casket, lasers, dancers, etc… It should be one huge campaign appearance for the upcoming election.

His rivals do their best to make him look bad though: They smuggle in their own audience to boo and ask the wrong questions, they sabotage the lightning, etc… Will they succeed in derailing his campaign, or will Morales’ reputation shine brighter than ever before? You decide!

Bonus Prompt 16: Romance/Science Fiction Writing Prompt

But Cryptofreeze™ also attracts clients with a completely different set of problems: Henry loves Leila and is sure she is the girl he wants to be with. The problem is that she is 19 and he is 58.

Write two scenes:

Henry wants to talk to Leila and finds her on the running track (where the inner track travels less distance than the outer track, but they are still running side by side…). They jog next to each other, which painfully exposes their age difference. He confesses his love to her, she tells him she can’t live with the age difference, and he tells her he has booked his spot with Cryptofreeze™ and that she should make sure she will be free in 30 years. They say farewell in tears.

Henry is unfrozen, but something has gone horribly wrong: Because of a technical failure he has been frozen double time, for 60 years. Leila is now 79, while he is still 58. Roles are reversed, but it’s not as fun as it was supposed to be… Devastated, Henry visits Leila in her nursery home. She is kept in a large metal box, taken care of by robots who drive her out into the garden once per day.

Will they rediscover their love for each other, or will the circumstances have changed them too much? Will the thought of having missed out on all that precious time just kill them? Or will the make the best of it and find happiness? You decide!

Writing Prompts PDF

You can download a complete collection of all the prompts on this page on a neat sheet. Save them for whenever you need them! Enter your email here for your PDF of printable writing prompts:

Horror Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 17:

Joanna has won a vacation weekend in an old castle. Not many guests are there. Wandering the wide halls, she learns about Count Brookhart, the 16 th century owner of the castle. He stole another nobleman’s wife, started a war, and was beheaded. He is rumored to be roaming these halls as a ghost. The castle’s ancient chronicles state that he will only be redeemed if a living woman kisses him on her knees. Sounds pretty strange, doesn’t it…?

At night, Joanna gets up to look for the bathroom. She only hears wind; a book falls from a shelf out of nowhere. And these heads on the old portraits all seem to turn after her…

She looks into a mirror – and freezes. Behind her is the Count, his eyes beseeching her for a kiss. And she would have to kneel to kiss him, because he is carrying his head under his arm, blood-dripping… Does Joanna feel like redeeming the count? What will happen if she does/doesn’t? You decide!

Describe the setting, the emptiness and the uneasy details. Let Joanna wonder what is going on and show her fear. In the end, go for the terrible shock effect!

Writing Prompt 18:

Gina’s beloved cat Tiger has been feverish and dizzy lately. At a fair, Gina sees a tent with a sign “Voodoo Healings $5.” Inside, she finds an old, hunched woman. She sits down in a strange chair with split rods, and her hair gets caught. The hag speaks a spell and gestures with her hands, then motions Gina to leave.

Outside at the fruit stands, Gina suddenly feels very sick, and it occurs to her what her hair could have been used for… Will she return to demand every single one of her strands back? Or will she already feel too sick and go for a more extreme solution? Will the old woman be gone or deny everything? You decide!

Don’t describe Gina’s fear, but instead describe what makes her scared: Show details of the witch’s looks and how the witch acts, describe Gina’s physical condition. Show how awful it is not to know where the horror is coming from. It will make your readers feel it strongly.

Writing Prompt 19:

When Lucy comes home, she finds her daughter Luna sitting on the floor sobbing, surrounded by broken glass. Luna has just smashed every single mirror in the house. She tells her mother that she saw ‘The Eater’ appearing behind her shoulder in the mirrors: Some dark silhouette that was coming to take a huge bite out of her.

Lucy tries to calm down her hysterical daughter, and is already going through a list of psychiatrists in the back of her head. In the evening, after cleaning up the house, she is applying make-up to go out for an important business dinner. Suddenly she notices huge black teeth appearing behind her in the little mirror…

Will Lucy shake it off as her imagination running wild? Or will she smash the make-up kit? How will she try to save herself and her daughter? And for how long can you avoid mirrors, which surround us… everywhere. You decide!

Have you ever had the feeling that you don’t know what’s going on? Pretty unsettling, right? Give disturbing, moody details about the silhouette, its appearances and effects, but don’t explain the why this is happening. We don’t know why terrible things happen to good people. And that’s scary.

Writing Prompt 20:

Zombie apocalypse has arrived. TV stations finally have the audience they deserve… For the zombies, it’s one huge party, and the humans are desperately holding onto their arms and socio-economic systems.

Four zombies are robbing a bank. Their advantages: Bullets don’t bother them, they really don’t need masks, and they have a natural gift to scare the shit out of the employees. Disadvantages: They are just so damn slow. Imagine a bank robbery in slow motion, and a couple of limbs falling off the robbers on their way out… Will the rotten gang get away thanks to their ‘Shock and Awe’? Or will the guards be quick-witted and find a way to protect themselves and attack? Where is the hunt going? You decide!

Show how absurd this scenario is. How is it different from an ordinary bank robbery? Think it through, and you will get to a couple of interesting scenarios.

Thriller Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 21:

Jeff is the bloodhound type of a prosecutor. He is currently prosecuting the big ice cream company “Freezelicious.” They are accused of using harmful ingredients. Since Jeff took on that trial, he has been having the feeling that somebody is following him. Yesterday at the gas station, today during the break at a restaurant, and now this Mercedes has been behind him for 20 minutes.

He makes two daring and illegal maneuvers with his car, but just as he thinks he got rid of the Mercedes, it appears in his rearview mirror. He parks at a shopping center and disappears into the bathroom. After a while, the Mercedes driver comes in, and Jeff smashes him against the wall and starts to interrogate him. Turns out the guy isn’t sent by Freezelicious, but by their cheaper competitor Mega Cream. They want to make sure nothing bad happens to Jeff, because they are afraid Freezelicious wants to get him out of the way. Will Jeff just be pissed and throw the guy out? Or will he be secretly grateful? Has Freezelicious indeed planned an assassination? You decide!

Write Jeff’s inner dialogue in short sentences throughout the scene, and alternate it with action bits. Let him wonder whether somebody is following him (yes, no, yes, no) and what they could want. Show his anxiety and uncertainty.

Writing Prompt 22:

Seems like Amanda’s new co-worker Gregory does not waste any time: On his second day in office he asked her out. She declined, and the next week he asked her again with flowers in his hand. She explained he wasn’t her type, no hard feelings.

Today, when she leaves her house, she finds a shocking image: Somebody nailed her cat to the trashcan! In tears, she pulls her lose and buries her in the backyard. On the bus to work, dreadful thoughts race through her head: How can a human be capable of doing something like this? Did Apple suffer for long? Was it just some cruel and mindless kid? Is she in danger? And did she forget to close the bathroom window…?

At work, Gregory sticks his head into her office: “So how is your cat?” he asks… How will this terrible poker game continue? Can Amanda keep cool? You decide!

Again, get into Amanda’s head and play with her uncertainty. How would it make you feel if your co-worker was a dangerous maniac? Grief, terror, vengefulness, remorse… you can draw from all of these strong emotions.

Writing Prompt 23:

Herbert wants to call his son Gerd in from playing in the garden. But he only finds Gerd’s teddy with the head missing, and a note to bring 100,000 € to the Zombie House at the amusement park. If he informs police or doesn’t pay, he will get his son back like his teddy…

Four days later, police are waiting outside the Zombie House, while Herbert roams its eerie corridors, with a backpack filled with 100,000 €. Suddenly, out of the dark, a moldy looking hand grabs his backpack, while his son appears at the end of the corridor. He lets the backpack go and walks towards his son, who suddenly disappears… Will a wild chase between zombie masks ensue? What is waiting in the dark? Will the kidnappers notice the police, and what will they do then? You decide!

Uncertainty and mood! Describe the horrible thoughts of a father fighting for his son. Describe the dark, frightening atmosphere of the Zombie House. Here, your worst nightmares come true…

Adventure Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 24:

An expedition into the jungle has gone wrong. Desmond is an intrepid, bearded explorer who set out with his team to explore the tropical wild. But they got caught by aborigines.

Then something strange happens: Affectionately, they are asked to put on shoes made of parsley and onion necklaces… Seems like these aborigines are hungry.

Jungle-smart Desmond knows their best bet is to make themselves look toxic. He orders his team to rub violet berries and black roots all over their bodies, to punch a couple of each other’s teeth out and to writhe and babble like an insane person. Will the wild tribe be disgusted, and what will they decide to do with them? Or will they just laugh and proceed to produce a tasty casserole? You decide!

Writing Prompt 25:

Four women are stranded on a small, rocky island. To their dismay, the boat they came in is leaky. The extreme situation makes their masks come off and exposes the true nature of each one:

Ellen freaks out. She blames Ruth for booking a damaged boat and Mary for forgetting to take walkie-talkies with them, even though she had been in charge of equipment.

Ruth can’t stop sobbing, she is pale and shaky and can’t be moved from the rock she is sitting on.

Mary tries to bring all of them onto the same page, so they can work together. She holds Ruth in her arms and sings to her.

Bethany makes a list of possible actions to take and tries to assign tasks to everyone (look for food, try to repair boat, look for material for smoking signal, etc…).

Describe the group dynamics. It could be an upward or a downward spiral. Will the women work together and find a way out of this? Or will they become worked up against each other and start to fight? Will a rescuing boat show up once they are at their lowest point and make them all feel shocked about themselves? You decide!

Writing Prompt 26:

Tobias and Rafael, two colleagues, are trying to reach the top of a mountain in the Himalayas. They are close to the peak, but Tobias knows it’s too dangerous to continue. Once they reached the top, it would get dark and cold, and the descent would be very dangerous. He decides to turn around, but he can’t get Rafael to come with him.

At night he is in his tent and hears Rafael asking for help over the walkie-talkie. The poor guy is sitting high up there in a freezing cold cave without food, and it’s not clear whether he will survive the night. Will Tobias risk his life for a colleague who has disregarded all safety rules? Or will he just encourage him over radio and pray? Will there be calm conditions the next day? You decide!

Action Writing Prompts

[ Read detailed tips about how to write an action/fight scene her e . ]

Writing Prompt 27:

Alfredo is a celebrity cook who loves the good life. That’s why he owes the mafia money.

One day, two gentlemen shaped like bull dozers in suits pay him a visit. They quickly surround him and send him friendly reminders to pay with their brass knuckles and baseball bats. But Alfredo is quick and flexible. He rams a cucumber into their ribs, then quickly jumps over the big counter in the middle of the kitchen.

The weapon of a cook is food… He throws some butter at their feet, so they slide and stumble, and scatters pepper into their eyes. Howling, disorientated and furious, they speed in opposite directions around the block. Alfredo quickly jumps onto the counter, and coming from opposite directions, they crash into each other like colliding trains and stay on the floor unconscious. Alfredo goes on to cook a celebratory cake.

Will the two suddenly wake up and go for Alfredo again? How will he get their heavy bodies out of there? Or is this won already? You decide!

Mix the threat and pain of the cold-blooded torturers with quick dynamic phrases of action (verbs of movement; commas not full stops; graphic descriptions).

Writing Prompt 28:

Prison break time is the best time of the year: Hector, Axl, and Hans have been digging their way to freedom for months. Tonight, they lift the tiles for the last time, hastily crawling through the narrow tunnel. Stuck in the middle, they hear an alarm going off. How were they discovered so quickly? When they block the tunnel behind them with earth and debris, it feels like filling their own graves.

They hear guards crawling after them while rapidly digging the last tunnel part. Once out in the forest, they run! They discuss splitting up, but Hans refuses. They hide in trees, but are discovered by police quickly. They jump into a river, hearing police dogs behind them. Flushing down the river, a waterfall comes up. Whaaaam, freefall! Surely no policeman or dog can follow them here, so they feel safe finally! Until they are washed right into the arms of police waiting at the shore… How is that possible?

The cops have handcuffs for Hector and Axl, and a towel for Hans, who takes a tracker out of his sock… Will the other two try to strangle him? What will be his reward, and how could he have the guts to betray his companions? You decide!

Make it a big surprise and mystery how the cops always know where they are. And give us a taste of what it feels like to be human prey: Use short, quick, hectic sentences to give a sense for the quick pace of the hunt.

Writing Prompt 29:

The “Three Apples” hospital is in flames. On the 9 th floor, nurses Jenny and Linda try to save the babies of the preemie ward. The way downstairs is already blocked by flames, and there is only one way left: Up!

The girls are on the rooftop with the babies, and Jenny brought a container, and a sheet they use as a “cable.” She ties one end around a chimney and sails over the gap onto the neighbor building with a blood-freezing jump. They push the babies safely to the other side one by one like on cable cars, until only Linda is left. But she has major fear of heights, and now the babies are safe, her body has time to panic. The flames come closer.

Will Jenny be able to help her out with another trick? Will she find her courage, or will a helicopter rescue her at the last moment? You decide!

Babies and puppies are your best pawn! Make your reader fear for these helpless little creatures, and fall in love with their brave and quick-thinking helpers. You can heighten that effect by giving the girls very distinctive personalities, and showing their inner struggles. They are no superheroes, they have to earn this!

Historical/Medieval Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 30:

The middle ages. One of the famous “morality plays” is played in the village. These are basically thinly veiled guidelines for the people on how to behave. This one is for kids though, and very short to allow for their attention span. It tells kids how to behave properly, so mom and dad will love them and they won’t go to hell.

The play features Adam, the good kid, clean and in white like an angel; and Roger, the bad kid, looking nasty in rugs and always misbehaving. Several allegories are also around: Obedience is a thin figure in a long, flowing dress, always looking down. Diligence is a muscular guy with rolled up sleeves and leather apron; Adam tries to be like him, while Roger bites his leg. In the end, Adam is showered with candy toys and even a pet calf, while Roger gets a bloodletting and an ass-whipping. But suddenly the kids in the audience start to cheer and stamp: The calf has lifted its tail and peed all over Adam!

Do the kids get their own morality out of that play? How will the director and authorities turn this around to keep them in line? Will independent thinking or order prevail? You decide!

Create a couple more figures for the “play within the play.” If you constantly switch between the reality of the village and the reality in the play, it will make for nice variety. Get creative on both ends!

Writing Prompt 31:

Francis is a troubadour all girls have a crush on, kind of the Justin Bieber of the 12 th century. He has been courting charming Amalia night after night under her window. Tonight, he sings her his romantic poem “Thou Art the Bellows of Mine Heart.”

Amalia is enchanted, but soon rumbling is heard in the house: Her father has woken up, and that usually leads to him chasing Francis around the house with a rolling pin. He is a wealthy merchant and doesn’t approve of her tie to a penniless poet. The rumbling becomes louder while they speak.

Finally, merchant Robertson rips open the front door and screams up at his daughter: “What happened to the rolling pin!!?” Turns out Amalia has wisely hidden it… Will merchant Robertson get even angrier now? Or will he be charmed by his baby’s wit? Will he do damage to her poor suitor? You decide!

Love is in the air, so describe how and why these two are sighing/yearning for each other: The longing, the flirting, the plans. Draw from romances in your own life, because love never changed throughout the centuries. Disrupt that romance with an angry, drowsy man for great effect!

Writing Prompt 32:

Ancient Rome: On a big “forum” (square), a slave auction is held. Huno, a big, muscular Alemannic slave in heavy chains is next in line. Gaius, a newly rich plebeian, wants to acquire him so he can wear himself out on his construction sites by pulling heavy blocks. Gracelanus, a town clerk, would treat Huno much better and use him as a body guard.

Huno is ordered to demonstrate his power, and he breaks thick logs of wood over his thighs. Gaius lets out humiliating comments like “Work it, proud animal!” or “All the brains are in his upper arms.” He gives him the whip several times to test his resilience. Gracelanus, on the other hand, remains quiet, only to applaud the demonstrations.

When the bid goes to 800 sesterces, these two are the only bidders left. Gaius is hesitating for a moment, and suddenly Huno turns to the side of the stage and lets a heavy log fall on Gaius’ feet. Screaming and swearing, Gaius jumps in circles, while the bid goes to Gracelanus. Will Gaius accept his defeat, or will he get back at them? If Huno is provoked further, can he keep his cool? You decide!

Slavery is disgusting to the modern reader. It has an even bigger effect, if you, the author, don’t judge. Just present the auction as everyday life. Huno’s humility to his own fate, Gaius’ cruelness… try to describe it without emotions.

Dialogue Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 33:

Punker girl Samantha (pierced tongue, “Anarchy” tattoo, etc…) is detained for stealing a skateboard bit by bit from a sports store (wheels first, then axle, etc…). Her attorney George is a seasoned vet. At his office, he tries to explain to the stupid brat what’s about to happen and what he wants her to do in front of court: Explain that she had just been bored and curious how to dissemble a skateboard, wanting to prove herself, and that she would have brought the complete skateboard back. Samantha is not too concerned about all of this and wishes the old man was a little more chill.

Write their dialogue and show how differently they speak about their agendas, different words they use, tone, rhythm, etc… Will George hammer some sense into the teenager? Or will Samantha stay unimpressed and make him lose his cool? You decide!

What it’s good for:

It’s important your characters’ voices sound different from each other. This exercise trains you to give each character their distinctive voice.

Writing Prompt 34:

Greta has lent her pick-up truck to her cousin Iris to transport some furniture. Unfortunately, a little accident happened: The truck perfectly fit around the pillar of the gateway.

Iris enters the kitchen, where Greta is cooking. At first, she is afraid to confess and wants to cheer up Greta’s mood with some enthusiastic compliments. She hesitates and finally confesses.

Greta is busy and hectic when Iris enters, to get dinner ready before guests arrive. She is happy to see Iris return and asks about the furniture buying, then wants to rush her out of her kitchen. After Iris confesses, Greta feels like everything is going wrong on that day and becomes hysteric. Will Iris be able to calm her down? Or will the two women get into a big fight, just before the guests arrive? You decide!

This scene takes the two protagonists through a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It will train you to always let your characters express their feelings and to insert a lot of emotions into your scenes.

Writing Prompt 35:

Fibby & Fozzy are twins. Their mom has died recently, and their uncle Gerald wants to trick them out of the largest part of their inheritance. He just presented a new, fake will that would only leave them a small heritage. They discuss what steps they could take against their uncle’s scam, and they speak about it at their mom’s favorite place on earth, the zoo.

Show them walking through the scenery in a way that the animals provide some subtle subtext for whatever they are talking about. E.g. when they talk about how ruthless their uncle is, they watch a lion tearing his meat apart; when they talk about how they love their mother, they are watching a cute baby panda, etc…

This should improve your sense to connect what your characters are talking about with their environment. Adding a bit of subtext is easy and makes your scene deep and rich.

Writing Prompt 36:

A popular comedian sits on a park bench. He is the type that shocks and amuses his audience with outrageous ideas. A bum sits down next to him. The comedian asks the bum for change. Is this just a lighthearted joke that will ease out into a philosophical discussion about humanity? Or will the bum be seriously offended and react? You decide!

Train your characters to sound real with this one. When the erratic, playful, ruthless comedian clashes with the tired bum, you can lend your characters raw and realistic voices.

Character Writing Prompts

A. Writing Prompt 37:  Shading

Jeff is a very analytical-thinking stock broker; people call him cold-blooded. Sheryl is an elementary school teacher with a big heart. Andy is an always positive and slightly naive flight attendant.

Describe their characters and add one trait to each of them that doesn’t look like them at all. Describe why they have this trait.

Giving your characters an unexpected trait is called “Shading.” E.g. the wealthy, stingy man, who often gives to charity, so he can have the feeling his life has more meaning. If the unexpected trait makes sense, it will give your character a lot of depth and make her look very three-dimensional.

B. Writing Prompt 38: Description

Romeo is a young private detective who dresses like a college boy, with baseball cap and saggy clothes (excellent disguise!). Lana is a stressed restaurant manager. Hannah is a street-artist selling her artwork on a busy corner.

You are having coffee on a lazy Sunday afternoon and are observing each of them separately. Describe their looks, clothes, movements, etc…, so we get a sense for who they are.

Train to describe your characters with this one. Give your readers a sense for who your figures are, simply by listing observations about them. This is pure “Show, don’t tell!” and satisfying for your reader, as she feels like the observer herself.

C. Writing Prompt 39: Backstory

Mariella is an arrogant high-society lady with an expensive fur coat and a little poodle. Henry is a pickpocket with the body language of a beaten dog. Susan is a “speedy reporter,” always driven by the desire to get the latest news first.

Describe their backstories in a couple of sentences each: How did they grow up? What are their biggest fears and desires? What made them who they are? How were they hurt?

This prompt will get you into the habit of rooting your characters in a strong backstory. It will make them look as embraceable as your best friend.

D. Writing Prompt 40: Behavior

Hans is a funny hot-dog street vendor who likes to entertain his customers. Tia is a tax inspector who always welcomes expensive jewelry from companies. Laura is a waitress who is really good at making her customers feel welcome.

Show us how each of these characters would react to the following situations: Somebody carelessly shoving them on public transport. An acquaintance (not friend) asking them to borrow some money. Finding a beautiful rare snail during a bike trip.

Here you are letting your characters act out of their distinctive personalities. We all react very differently to the same situations. Let your figures express themselves!

Plot Writing Prompts

Take the following words and construct a story plot around them. Use them in any order. Describe a short plot summary. Try to add something: Characters, locations, subplots, details, twists. The more you add, the more colorful your story will become. The only rule is that you must use all of the words. Slashes mean you can pick between words.

Writing Prompt 41:

Suitcase – traffic jam – star – contract – drug – celebration – stairs/piano/autograph – beggar – apple

Writing Prompt 42:

Library – rodent – love/hobby/fanatic – magic – flowers – legend/fairy tale/rumor – birthday pie – clock

Writing Prompt 43:

Monastery/Brewery/Pet shop – breeding – tears – wheel – green – rebel – friend – cozy/thick/dirty

Writing Prompt 44:

Cigar – anger – policeman – pill – polite – celebrate/encourage/humiliate – husband – double-edged

Short Story Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 45:

James and Agnes are throwing their engagement dinner. James’ ex Dina is invited too. Secretly, she still loves him and hates Agnes. During the dinner, she spreads the rumor that Agnes scammed her boss Dimitri out of money/cheated on her fiancée with several of her co-workers/infected people at her office with some disgusting disease. At the after-dinner reception, Dimitri shows up unexpectedly, which leads to really awkward situations for a couple of people.

How will the guests look at Dimitri, Agnes and James? Which awkward misunderstandings and accusations will it lead to? Will somebody clear this up and get Dina kicked out, or will James lose all his trust in his fiancée? You decide!

Writing Prompt 46:

Bruno and Benedict are two kids selling lemonade at their street stand. It’s not going well. A stranger in a trench coat, with a wig and huge sunglasses stops by. He offers to buy all of their lemonade, if they do him a quick favor: Over there on the park bench, a guy with a big sports bag/lady with an expensive jewelry necklace/businessman with a black briefcase is sitting. They should threaten him/her with the knives they use for cutting lemons, and bring him the sports bag/necklace/briefcase. He says it’s a prank for a TV show.

Will the kids agree, and will they actually pull through? If yes, will the wigged guy escape untroubled? Or will the little ones be smart, maybe talk to the guy/woman on the bench? You decide!

Writing Prompt 47:

Randolph is a casino supervisor. He has a crush on that new croupier Lara. Lara on her part has a plan to take her own extra salary from the casino… The two stay after closing hours and get into a risky game: They will play one hour of roulette. If Lara wins, Randolph will turn a blind eye in the upcoming month while chips “disappear.” If James wins, Lara will sleep with him.

Who will come out in front? Or will they call it a draw and declare two winners? And how will the dynamics between the two of them develop during the game? You decide!

Writing Prompt 48:

Gary has been sleepwalking lately. When he wakes up in his bed, he doesn’t remember where he has been, but he finds oily car parts/squashed chocolate/earthy bones in his bed (depending on the genre you want to write in).

Gary’s nephew Walter is working at the car repair shop/chocolate factory/graveyard of the village. Gary asks him to stay at night after his shift, and observe what he is doing in his sleep. But is it even a coincidence Walter is working there? Is Gary subconsciously trying to tell his nephew something, to warn him, help him, or even sabotage him? Will Walter discover something funny or terrible, and can he even tell his uncle the truth the next day? You decide!

Writing Prompts with Pictures

Write a story around the following image:

Writing Prompt 49:

Writing Prompt 50:

Image: Interior Design/Shutterstock

Writing Prompt 51:

Image: LaCozza/Fotolia

Writing Prompt 52:

Image: anibal/Fotolia

Writing Prompts for Writer’s Block

If you are troubled by writer’s block, try one of these exercise. You will find your mind flowing freely again.

Writing Prompt 53:

Think of a very happy day in your life. Describe what happened on that day and how it made you feel. Were you anticipating it when you woke up, or did you have no idea? What did the people around you say or do?

Just write and don’t overthink. What you write really doesn’t matter. This exercise is designed to get you excited and get your juices flowing, and that’s the only thing that matters.

Writing Prompt 54:

Hansel walks up to Gretel and asks her if she wants to go to the lake with him. She says yes. They dance off into the sunlight.

The most commonplace plot in the world.  Your job is to write the entire scene as badly as you can. Uninteresting characters, predictable dialogue, action that makes no sense… Please make sure to mess it all up. The worse, the better! If everybody who reads it cringes, you have succeeded. And if you want, send it to me, and I will tell you how awesome it is you finally got back to writing: alex at ridethepen dot com.

Writing Prompt 55:

Pick the window that’s closest to you right now, as you read this. Look through it. Describe what you see in detail!

For this exercise, completely turn around at least one of your writing rituals: If you usually write at a desk, write on the couch or the floor; if you usually write by computer, write by hand; etc… The new approach will give you a fresh start.

Story Starters Writing Prompts

[ Read a post with 31 ways to start your story here . ]

Write a story starting with the following sentences:

Writing Prompt 56:

Anderson knew Amanda as a cheerful person. But on that Wednesday, when she came into the office, she was carrying a big basket, and she looked really sad.

Writing Prompt 57:

Kai looked up at his scary task. This was the craziest thing any contestant of “Where there’s a will, there is a million” ever had to do. It was because he was first! Nobody had ever gotten one step from the million…

Writing Prompt 58:

“Once bitten, twice shy.” That’s all Emma could think while looking at handsome Luis and his bullterrier with the huge jaws. “Once bitten, twice shy.”

Writing Prompt 59:

The day Iggy came into Jasmine’s life, the postman rang twice. That was very unusual, and the reason why it happened was unusual too.

Writing Prompt 60:

Getting stood up at the altar is every bride’s worst nightmare. But what if it happens the other way around? On the day of her wedding, Sophie was nowhere to be found.

Writing Prompt 61:

“I’m so happy, Uncle Albert!” Priscilla screamed into her cell phone as her train was speeding towards London. At that moment, nobody knew that a far-reaching confusion would take place on the train soon.

Unusual Creative Writing Prompts

Writing Prompt 62:

Imagine you are a dog. Now tell me about a day in your life from your perspective. How do you spend your time? Waiting, going for a walk with your owner, hunting a cat? Which emotions do you feel? What concerns you, what makes you happy? What matters? What do you want? Follow your wet snout and describe a typical day.

Writing Prompt 63:

Kurt and Sarah are neighbors in the same building, and they are arguing in the hallway. Kurt thinks he lent Sarah three eggs she never replaced. Sarah claims she replaced them a long time ago.

Emma, an elderly lady, passes by and feels obligated to join: Sarah owes an egg, but it’s just one. The two of them tell her to keep walking, as it’s none of her business.

Erin, a student, passes by, and tries to get all of them to make up in the name of peaceful neighborhood.

Charles, a stressed dad, shouts at all of them to shut up.

Finally, the police comes by and issues a citation against all of them because of public disturbance.

Describe this absurd scene, in which each new participant tries to resolve the quarrel, but tops it up by one additional level. What a mess! Show the good intentions of every party, and how the dialogue finally draws them into the argument. Have fun!

Creative Writing Exercises PDF

You can download a complete collection of all the prompts on this page on a neat sheet. Enter your email here for your PDF of printable writing prompts:

For Your Consideration…

Check Out These Interesting Writing Prompt Pages As Well:

The Wealthy Writers Club  features a list of over 100 very creative prompts (most of them are short ideas).

26 Remarkable Comments. Join in!

26 Comments

Hey Riders,

I wrote this sometime back, and thought it’d be best if I shared it with y’all. I’d already gotten a review from (the amazing) Alex, and he encouraged me to put it up here for all to see. Anyway, hope you like it. comments and recommendations are welcome (positive, and if cutting, then constructive).

Happy riding!

P.S. I had some of the stuff for Gwen’s inner dialogue written in italics… not so sure how to do that here, though. Hoping you will get the drift though. P.P.S. This is prompt #2 ————————————————————————————————————————– Gwen sat at the dining table, sipping her coffee, choking back the bitter taste it left in her mouth. Not as bitter as what I am feeling now. She gazed at the large window that would fill the house with glorious, golden light on bright, sunny days. Now, the storm that was raging outside clouded the skies, and the panes dripped with rain whose fate was sealed. She sipped at the coffee, and swallowed painfully, forcing the black liquid to pass the lump that had formed in her throat, and fan out hotly behind her heart which she felt sure was turning to ice. By the window was Chris’ seat. His wickerwork chair he had bought from China during a trip with his student group. She snickered. How long did he think I was not going to find out? Idiot. She sipped at the coffee, and swallowed. The jacket she had bought for him was sprawled on it. Prime leather, as black as sin. And his heart, too. Twenty years of loving the man poured into buying that jacket, only for it to be poured out like spent coffee grounds. She sipped at her coffee, and looked at the clock. Two minutes past six. He always left the bathroom at two minutes past six. As if on cue, he walked into the room, clad in his thick cotton bathrobe. “Whew, what a day it’s been!” he sighed, slipping his hands into the pockets of the robe. Gwen chose not to listen to him; her attention was fully on the jacket. “Sweetie, is there any more coffee? I need the warmth,” he continued, before his voice became as smooth as oil. “Or will you substitute the coffee?” “Why have coffee, when you have the option of green tea?” Gwen sipped at her coffee, slowly turning to face him. His rich brown eyes were puzzled for a moment, before the corners crinkled in amusement. That did it. She flung the coffee mug at him, and he ducked just as fast. The mug exploded on the glossy white wall, coffee streaming down it like rotten blood from a sore wound. “How dare you find this funny?” she screamed, rising up and walking to the wicker chair. She picked up the jacket, sodden and heavy, and tossed it at him across the length of the room. “Explain that, Chris. Explain why you would do this to me!” “Sweetie, what do you mean?” His voice was filled with worry, fear; did she detect a slight quiver? He turned over the jacket, then his eyes widened in realisation. He knows I know, the lying bastard. The lipstick on the collar, red as his neck would be in a few minutes. “Honey, I can explain…” he started, but Gwen could not bear hearing him call her that. How many more has he called sweetie, or honey? She screamed, anger almost blinding her. Or was it the tears? The hurt? She couldn’t say. “Chris, how could you? Twenty years is nothing to you, is it? All we’ve been through, all we’ve faced, and you decide to have it with a whore. A whore, Chris! A slut whose name you can’t even remember!” She picked up a fine porcelain vase Chris had gotten for her birthday. “Gwen, please, calm down, and I can explain everything.” His tone wa soft, almost pleading. Pleading for forgiveness, which I won’t give today. She flung the vase at him. either he didn’t see it coming, or was slow to react. The vase shattered against his head, the shards burying deep into the thick black locks of his hair. He cried out in pain, then crouched down low. Gwen felt a shocking stab of triumph. Why am I enjoying this? “Gwen, what’s gotten into you? Trust me, it’s not what it seems!” Chris got up, a tiny rivulet of blood oozing across his forehead, into his left eye. “Give me a chance to explain everything!” “As far as I know Chris, you have never gotten into me, for as long as I can remember, and you decided to, what’s the word, get ¬into someone else.” She picked up a golf club from its bag – his bag – next to the chair of iniquity. She glowered as she saw him cower back in fear. “Gwen…” “No, Chris, this isn’t meant for you, though the thought of crushing your cunning serpent, along with his nest of eggs, would greatly satisfy me.” She saw his neck muscles cringe at the description. “Gwen, please. I can explain everything – JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE, WOMAN!” She screamed, a feeble attempt at drowning him out, before pushing past him and running out of the house, through the door and into the rain. She spotted his car; his beloved Kia. Did he do it in our car, with that slut? She yelled in anger, anger that seemed to seep out of every pore and element of her being. A scream she felt must have been last used by a Viking berserker; primal and raw. She smashed in the window, the shards mixing with the rain like diamonds. The next swing landed on the bonnet, denting it and taking a big scrape out of the primer. The third shattered the windscreen, and it fell like a delicate fractal plate of ice. She stopped counting after eight, and by the time she was done, the rain had soaked the interior, the system console was cracked, and the steering wheel was awkwardly askew. She was taking in deep gulps, gasping for air. It’s cold, invisible barbs poked at her throat, mixed with the taste of coffee, rage and blood. She realised she had bit her lip, and the blood was dripping onto the wet driveway in big splotches, mingling with the rain. Chris came up from the dry safety of the porch. If he was angered about the car, she couldn’t see it. She began to sob, and fell to the paved driveway, too exhausted to keep standing. She felt Chris’ warmth, smell and presence surround her. “Gwen, it’s alright. Just give me a chance to explain, please.” “I told you, no, Chris. I can’t keep on living if you were to leave me for another.” She let out another sob, and suddenly felt cold. She held on to Chris, even though he was as drenched as she. Still, she needed to feel if he was real; the Chris she knew would never cheat on her. “Gwen, I was with my students, and for a change, we decided to go have our classes at Wong’s over a light lunch.” His voice was soothing, comforting, real. She pulled him closer. She needed that reality more than anything. “The day began so wonderfully, Gwen; the sky was as blue as your eyes, and I felt it would be best to wear the jacket, and think of you and us.” Now my eyes are red, and puffy. Could he still want me? She felt his tender hand push away wet strands of her hair from her face. She didn’t want to look at him; the very idea of seeing his lips mention that he had slept with another woman – or one of those students? – revolted her. “When we were leaving, it started to rain, and I had to make sure my students got home dry and safe. I gave Nessa my jacket – you remember Nessa; she came to see you at the hospital – to cover herself as we walked to the bus stop. I saw her off, then rushed to my parking spot at the café we always use for our meetings. She had some lipstick on; she was from a date with her fiancé before the class began. It must have rubbed off on my jacket” He wrapped her in his big arms, and she could smell the fragrance of the soap he had used. “I swear, I would never walk out on you, Gwen. Never.” “But I had a miscarriage, Chris. Twenty years, and no children. I thought you didn’t want me anymore, now that we can’t have children…” she sniffled, pushing back the memories of the hospital. The smell of antiseptic, green walls, overly sympathetic nurses… the pain associated with them haunted her still. Haunting me to a point where I’d think my husband would never love me? Yet here he is, with me in the rain, even though I’ve smashed our car to pieces. “Chris, I’m sorry I could never be the wife you wanted. You always wanted kids, even before we got married, you’d say how much of a father you wanted to be. Because of me, you can’t have that dream become a reality.” She began to cry, before Chris gently shushed her. “Before I wanted kids, I wanted you. And as long as I have you, Gwen, well – this is cheesy, but – I don’t need anything else. You’re the most perfect, most amazing woman I know. You are the wife I’ve always wanted.” He chuckled at his feeble attempt of professing love. She found herself giggling. He had always made her laugh with his corny declarations of affection. Probably that’s what I’ve always about him; he is real, and honest, and true. “Can we stay here a bit longer?” She nuzzled up to him. “We haven’t done this since college; our vain attempt at recreating The Notebook.” “Oh, yeah; remember when we almost got struck by lightning?” He laughed, and Gwen smiled up at him. What more could I ask for?

Hey Eddie, good to see you posting this here, because… somebody has to go first, right?

And like I wrote to you via email, this is a great piece of writing. Love the psychology, the dynamics and the details. Plus, you have a wonderful feeling for metaphors, similes, images, etc… Nice!

So who’s next…?

I want to post my prompt and to get it published too. I have two prompts I have finished writing.

Sounds good, just post your prompts here in the comments. Go for it, I’m curious to see what you have got!

Alex, these are the best ever!

Prompt 52 I think is my favorite. Two of the subjects I enjoy are stone-age fiction and science fiction. What nice marriage that prompt brings. Oh, hmm, maybe there could be a real one in that story, seed and egg age difference of 40,000+ years and still viable. No, I gotta quit now. Too much on my desk to handle immediately.

I’ll try to come up with a good prompt in perhaps a week. Kinda busy here at the moment.

Number 16, perhaps Cryptofreeze™ could have a companion, Cryptoflow™ to un-age. Wouldn’t that be really something, the two of them keeping on missing each other by several decades; ironing out their schedule and venue misunderstandings and trying again.

Eddie, I’m going to come back and read yours.

Thanks, Will! Oh, you are thinking along the lines of a love child in space and stone. And number 16, yes, that would be awkwardly tragic and funny. Imagine the thought of just waking up from a couple of decades in the freezer, slowly learning to move your limbs again, and buying some flowers to show up at her doorstep – only to learn that you have to do the freezing all over again…

I know, these exercises take more time than the prompts I usually publish in my posts. But when you are ready, I would love to read yours.

Hey, Alex, writing writing prompts is hard. I feel an urge to keep writing rather than stopping at the prompt. When I promised I’d make one, many days ago, I didn’t know what I had let myself in for.

Your blog sends me a copy of every comment posted on this page. They’ve served as prompts to write a writing prompt.

Writing Prompt # (no particular genre):

He knew he shouldn’t do it, even as he did it. But it was too delicious a thought to be abandoned. It simply had to be created to share with others.

It was a bad, bad habit, he had. A divine idea would arrive, an idea so clear and insightful and, well, full of awesomeness, that it must be manifested. Somehow. And the first step in the direction of that “somehow” was to make a promise to do it. Not a self-promise that nobody else knows about and is easy to neglect, but a promise to someone whose goodwill was important.

As expected, he did it again, true to his habit.

Immediately after he stated the promise, making it irrevocable, he had a sinking feeling.

Your assignment, dear reader who is also a writer, should you choose to accept it, is to unveil the promise and the consequences the poor bloke experiences because of it.

And now, Alex, let me make another promise. That I’ll write a short little story from one of your prompts. Perhaps the cave man prompt I mentioned earlier.

Hey Will, it happens to the best. Your prompt now is to take your time and write whenever you are ready. It doesn’t have to be very long, btw. Sometimes a couple of imaginative paragraphs create a great story in the reader’s mind.

Well, if it happens to the best, then I must be the best, right? 🙂

This story simply would not cooperate. It refused to become a “stone-age human meets space-suited human”. And insisted to finalize at 1700+ words.

Be all that as it may, here is what the story insisted it must be.

=====================================

Wzzt, the Martian

If they were translated, the whistles and grunts would have meant, “Wzzt, it has been decided that you will welcome the interlopers.”

Wzzt’s protest sounded like a wounded pig. A foreign listener would not have been much deceived.

——

“Base, I see tracks.”

Mars. Every dream, every night since he could remember, from little boy to adult at expedition training, Sam dreamed about Mars — although he could never recall specific details. And here he was.

“Well, I hope you see tracks. You’re following Opportunity’s path.”

“No, these are light tracks on top of what the dust storm left way back in 2018. Round, about the width of my hand, with marks that might be toes or claws.”

“Well, take some pictures and we’ll figure it out when you get back.”

Joe smirked, thinking his trainer was making a fool of himself. On this, their very first mars external operation. He gloried in anticipation of discrediting Sam. Joe had seen the tracks, too, but Sam reported it to base before he had a chance to do so. For once, he was happy not to be first.

It’s impossible, of course, Sam thought. Decades of satellite and robot explorations had proved Mars habitat is inimical to life more complex than bacteria. The track must be something else.

Sam and Joe, trainer and trainee, proceeded along Opportunity’s path, approaching the base of a cliff. In the shadow of the cliff, the two stopped short.

Sam forgot to draw a breath until his body reminded him.

“Base, there is a creature in front of us. It is about half my height with a roundish body, no neck, three short legs with feet that could have made the tracks we saw earlier. It waddles. And it is slowly approaching us.”

“Shit. Pull your weapons, but don’t shoot unless you are in danger. Raise the gain of your mikes. And activate those external speakers we were told we had to have.”

The thing waddled to a comfortable distance, about five times its own height.

It said, “The first humans have arrived on Mars.”

Joe, wanting to be first with the asounding fact, reported, “It speaks English!”

Sam thought, “Shit. This one has tech.”

He followed his thought with, “Base, it played a recording of our arrival transmission to Earth. On our very own comm channel!”

Base responded with, “Yes, we heard it. It seems we have a spheroid waddler with enough tech to intercept our radio transmissions to Earth, record them, and play them back to us on our comm channel. What the hell is it!”

Joe felt deflated. “Well, it did speak English!”

Base ignored Joe, following Sam’s lead like it always had during training and practice.

The thing said, “It speaks English! Base, it played a recording of our arrival transmission to Earth. On our very own comm channel! Yes, we heard it. It seems we have a spheroid waddler with enough tech to intercept our radio transmissions to Earth, record them, and play them back to us on our comm channel. What the hell is it! Well, it did speak English!”

Base told Sam, “That was not a recording. The same voice repeated what all three of us said. There is high intelligence.”

The things said, “Wzzt.”

Base, “What the hell was that!”

Sam, “Base, I think it refers to itself, it’s species or perhaps it’s name.”

Sam bent his knees, pointed at himself, and said,”Sam.”

The thing raised one of its legs and clumsily pointed at itself. “Wzzt.”

“Base, it seems that it’s name is however that word is pronounced.” Sam chuckles and continues, “Maybe we can introduce vowels to its language.”

Wzzt used a leg to point at Joe.

Sam looked at Joe. Joe was shaking.

For the millionth time Sam wondered how Joe got past the psych tests this mission put them all through. Maybe somebody really was bought off, someone who knowingly endangered the first manned mission to Mars by letting Joe slide into the team.

Sam activated Joe’s speaker and said, “Joe.”

Wzzt said, “Sam. Joe. Follow me to my cave,” turned around, and started waddling back the way it had come.

Sam grimmaced as the thought about psyche tests flitted through his mind. An utterly irresistible compulsion contrary to his innate sense of integrity had compelled him to ensure without doubt that he would be posted as head of Mars External Operations.

Sam said, “Base, it originated something. None of us ever said ‘Follow me to my cave,’ or at least not on a radio. It must have learned by listening to us.

Base, “Follow it. But carefully!”

Sam hurried forward, saying “Yes, Base.”

But Joe didn’t move. He seemed to be rooted.

Suddenly, Joe yelled, “It’s an abomination! Humans are the only intelligence! I’ll rid the world of this mad disease!”

Joe raised his weapon to do just that. Base, alert, deactivated it before it could fire.

Base, “Sam, proceed. Please be carefull. I don’t want to lose you.”

Base continued. “Joe, stay where you are. That is an order. Sam will accompany you back to base on his return.”

Then, “Sam, this is private. As you suspected, there were psyche test anomalies. Confirmation came in just before you met Wzzt, however that thing is pronounced.”

“I realize you have no first contact training,” Base continued. “Who would have thunk you’d need it; here, of all places! Use your own judgement and do what you think is right. If we delay for a partner to join you, this opportunity may be lost.”

Wzzt led the way to the cliff.

“Base, there’s a small hole in the cliff, behind a jut and under a rock shelf. Surveilance would have found it only by being within sight on ground level.

Wzzt held up a foot, a clear signal to stop. Then pointed his foot toward the hole.

“This is my cave.”

Wzzt lowered its foot, re-balanced itself, and continued, “If you come in, radio is lost.”

“You are welcome to come in.”

“Base, you heard Wzzt. It is civilized enough to give me a choice. I’m going in, if I can squeeze through that hole.”

“I don’t like this, Sam!”

“Base, you gave me authority.”

“Agreed.”

Wzzt entered the hole.

When Sam entered, it seemed as if the hole expanded to let him through.

Once inside, the light was dim. But he sensed it was a large cavern.

When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Sam got a surprise. There was Opportunity, taken apart; but not haphazardly. The pieces were laid out in an orderly fasion, each piece labeled.

A dozen creatures of Wzzt’s shape were standing along the wall.

“Base,” Sam started. Then remembered he had no comm signal.

Two of the creatures along the wall stepped forward with an apparatus, setting it near Sam. A dial was turned.

Wzzt said, “Radio found.”

Tentatively, Sam says, “Base, Wzzt tells me we have comm.”

“Clear and no distortions, Sam.”

“Base, Opportunity is in this cave. Taken apart. By experts. No wonder we couldn’t find it after that dust storm. I’ll send you some visual.”

“Sam, are you okay? There are a lot of Wizzes in that cave.”

“Base, they are friendly. They provided the unit that established our comm from within the cave.”

“Sam! Joe has moved. He is running toward your cave. He’s going inside.”

Joe popped through the entrance hole. He grabbed Sam’s weapon, pointing it at Wzzt. Before Sam had a chance to react, Wzzt shriveled into char.

Sam launched himself toward Joe to take him down.

Suddenly, he halted in mid-flight, suspended. He didn’t and couldn’t move. Neither could Joe, being frozen in a leaning-back defense stance. The two were in a static space of some kind, a total absence of motion.

One of the creatures walked over to Wzzt’s ashes and collected them with a deep bag on a handle reminisent of a butterfly net.

The creature waddled over and forcefully put the bag over Joe’s head all the way down to his shoulders.

In less than a minute, the bag was removed and Joe was able to move. He almost fell down, then regained his balance.

When Joe spoke, it was Wzzt’s voice, “Sam, I am Wzzt. The Joe entity forfeited its right to exist when it tried to take my life.”

The Wzzt/Joe bent, straightened, and twisted, as he got familiar with the new body.

“Humans have strange bodies.”

Then from the radio, blared a frantic, “Sam! Base is lifting! The rockets are firing. According to the instruments we’re headed for rendezvous with Orbiter.”

“Sam, we have no control of the rockets or our trajectory.”

“Sam? Are you there? Talk to me!”

Sam desperately wanted to respond. But he couldn’t move. Nor could he make a sound.

“Base, this is Wzzt speaking through the body you knew as Joe. The life essence that was Joe is no more. It used its every effort to kill me, reducing my body to ashes.”

“We will no longer tolerate you and your kind on or near our planet. Except Sam, who we have chosen to learn from.”

“For decades we have watched you and learned about you. Monitoring established your Earth citizens to be capricious and destructive, at odds with each other, and focused on individual benefit, a mad melee reminding us of the animals that finally reduced themselves to extinction on this very planet you call Mars.”

“Do not come back. If in the future Sam wishes to return to Earth, he will be provided with transportation.”

The communicator was removed and Sam’s stasis was released. He noticed his gun was fully charged. He felt normal, healthy, energetic.

He looked at Wzzt, who was still becoming familiar with his new body.

“What now, Wzzt?”

Suddenly, with a silent, thunderous mental bang, Sam remembered everything.

Wzzt said, “Now you remember, friend Zzzt. Your mission was a success. It will be a long time before humans land on our planet again. We will be fully prepared.”

Sam/Zzzt suddenly felt awkward in his body, but quickly regained control.

In a moment, Zzzt emitted whistles and grunts that meant, “You know, friend Wzzt, they really are a strange species. There is little cohesion.”

Zzzt looked around. All the creatures in the cavern, his people, his friends and some new ones, were ringed around him, one leg raised pointing at him in a silent salute.

Will Bontrager

Oh how strange we have become. We are the aliens.

That was a fun read, Will!

All of those writing prompts sound fun and wonderful. it is going to hard to pick just one to write on. 

 Thank you 

That’s great to hear, Bruce.

Have fun with them!

Really useful…. 🙏thanks

Awesome! You are welcome!

Thank you for all the great resources. I am new to writing and have written a couple of pieces for the Show don’t Tell section on your site. Cheers, Tilly

Kayla was a talented piano player Kayla Vlasov sat at the grand piano, her back straight, her delicate hands poised on the shiny black and white octaves. The audience in the front row noticed how Kayla’s legs hung demurely from the stool, her feet barely reaching the pedals. Kayla’s expression was focussed. Nothing else existed when she was about to play the piano. With her right index finger, she struck middle C. The vibration went through to the audience’s marrow and sent a shiver down their backs. Thunderous applause. This would be an evening to remember.

Winny felt shy Winny held her mother’s hand, as they walked through the gates of Newtown Primary School. A teacher with a warm smile and auburn hair bouncing along with each step came towards them. The child hid behind her mother, wishing she could disappear between the folds of her skirt. Warm tears gathered in Winny’s eyes and she lifted her other hand to her mouth, hoping the teacher wouldn’t notice her quivering bottom lip.

Hi Tilly, these are excellent!

Not only do you “show” what’s the matter, but these are also fun pieces full of atmosphere.

If anybody is wondering where the prompts come from, it’s this post about “Show, don’t tell”: https://www.ridethepen.com/show-dont-tell/

Thank you Alex for the great prompts

You are welcome, Maria! 🙂

I would like to use Freezelicious. For a villain name.

Sounds like evil ice cream!

Lol it is. I want Freezelicious. To be a villain in a spy book I’m writing.

I really have a problem with prompt 24 on the adventure prompts. It feels very dehumanizing to indigenous peoples to portray them in that way and it perpetuates harmful stereotypes. I would suggest removing it because it is insensitive.

Hi Jessica, your comment is heard, but I would consider this excessive political correctness, of which the world already is seeing too much nowadays.

Everything is a stereotype – especially in a writing prompt! Your job as a writer is to then lay out a colorful story that draws the reader in, precisely because it’s so far away from any stereotype, which makes it interesting.

Looking for something else?

Hi Alex. Paragraph

I live in a senior residence and have taken on the adventure of coordinating a creative writing group. We have completed a year and I am very enthusiastic about the level of commitment and effort the students have put into all the assignments. This coming year we will be offering to include more people in the group. but since a number of people will be returning I have been looking for some different kinds of exercises to prompt and teach the students.

The prompts seem like a splendid opportunity for all the people in the group to try their hand without having to create new material right off the bat. I will let you know the kind of responses I get. Thanks for putting this together

Hey Pat, sounds great, I imagine in a senior residence people have plenty of time to write. Plus, you are living next door to your critique partners. Would be interesting to hear what came out of it and which prompts were used the most.

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Daily Downloads : Free Printables

10 Exciting Adventure Writing Prompts

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10 Exciting Adventure Writing Prompts to Spark Your Imagination

Are you an adventure-loving writer in search of inspiration? Adventure writing prompts can be just what you need to ignite your imagination and take your writing to new heights.

Here are ten adventure writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing:

• You’re a treasure hunter on a mission to find a lost artifact that could change the course of history.
• You wake up on a deserted island with no memory of how you got there. As you explore the island, you discover that it’s not as deserted as you thought.
• You’re a spy on a dangerous mission to infiltrate a top-secret facility and steal a valuable piece of technology.
• You’re a time traveler who’s been sent back to the Jurassic era. As you try to find your way back to the present, you must avoid dangerous predators and make some unexpected allies.
• You’re a survivalist who’s been stranded in the wilderness. As you try to find your way back to civilization, you must use your wits and skills to overcome challenges and dangers.
• You’re a space explorer on a mission to colonize a new planet. As you explore the planet, you encounter alien life forms and unexpected challenges.
• You’re a detective who’s been hired to solve a mystery in a remote mountain town. As you investigate, you discover that the town has a dark and dangerous history.
• You’re a member of a team of adventurers who are exploring an ancient temple in search of treasure. As you navigate the temple’s traps and puzzles, you discover that there’s more to the treasure than you thought.
• You’re a warrior who’s been sent on a quest to retrieve a powerful weapon from a dangerous enemy. As you journey through enemy territory, you must face fierce battles and unexpected alliances.
• You’re a superhero who’s been called upon to save the world from a catastrophic threat. As you battle against the forces of evil, you must use all of your powers and resources to come out victorious.

By using these adventure writing prompts, you can unleash your creativity and take your writing on a thrilling journey. So what are you waiting for? Grab your pen and paper, and let the adventure begin!

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 105 creative writing prompts to try out.

General Education

The most common advice out there for being a writer is, "if you want to write, write." While this is true (and good advice), it's not always that easy, particularly if you're not writing regularly.

Whether you're looking for help getting started on your next project, or just want to spend 20 minutes being creative, writing prompts are great ways to rev up your imagination. Read on for our list of over 100 creative writing prompts!

feature image credit: r. nial bradshaw /Flickr

10 Short Writing Prompts

If you're looking for a quick boost to get yourself going, these 10 short writing prompts will do the trick.

#1 : Write a scene starting with a regular family ritual that goes awry.

#2 : Describe exactly what you see/smell/hear/etc, right now. Include objects, people, and anything else in your immediate environment.

#3 : Suggest eight possible ways to get a ping pong ball out of a vertical pipe.

#4 : A shoe falls out of the sky. Justify why.

#5 : If your brain were a tangible, physical place, what would it be like?

#6 : Begin your writing with the phrase, "The stage was set."

#7 : You have been asked to write a history of "The Summer of [this past year]." Your publisher wants a table of contents. What events will you submit?

#8 : Write a sympathetic story from the point of view of the "bad guy." (Think fractured fairy tales like Wicked or The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! , although the story doesn't have to be a fairy tale.)

#9 : Look at everyday objects in a new way and write about the stories one of these objects contains.

#10 : One person meets a stranger on a mode of transportation. Write the story that ensues.

11 Writing Prompts for Kids

Any of these prompts can be used by writers of any age, but we chose the following 11 prompts as ones that would be particularly fun for kids to write about. (Most of them I used myself as a young writer, so I can vouch for their working!)

#1 : Include something falling in your writing.

#2 : Write a short poem (or story) with the title, "We don't know when it will be fixed."

#3 : Write from the perspective of someone of a different gender than you.

#4 : Write a dumb internet quiz.

#5 : Finish this thought: "A perfect day in my imagination begins like this:"

#6 : Write a character's inner monologue (what they are thinking as they go about their day).

#7 : Think of a character. Write a paragraph each about:

• An important childhood experience that character had.
• The character's living situation.
• Two hobbies or things the character likes to do.
• The room where the character sleeps.
• An ambition of the character.
• Two physical characteristics of the character.
• What happens when a second person and this character meet.
• Two important defining personal traits of this character.

#8 : Start a story with a quote from a song.

#9 : Begin a story with, "It was the summer of ______ when ______"

#10 : Pretend everyday objects have no names. Think about what you would name them based on what they do, what you can use them for, and what they look like.

#11 : Start a story with the phrases "My grandparents are/were," "My parents are/were," or "My mother/father/parent is/was."

15 Cool Writing Prompts

#1 : List five issues that you're passionate about. Write about them from the opposite point of view (or from the perspective of a character with the opposite point of view).

#2 : Walk around and write down a phrase you hear (or read). Make a story out of it.

#3 : Write using no adjectives or adverbs.

#4 : Write a character's inner dialogue between different aspects of a character's self (rather than an inner monologue).

#5 : Write a true story from your past that involves light or darkness in some way.

#6 : "Saying goodbye awakens us to the true nature of things." Write something in which someone has to say goodbye and has a realization.

#7 : Begin by writing the end of the story.

#8 : Write a recipe for an intangible thing.

#9 : Write a horror story about an ordinary situation (e.g., buying groceries, going to the bank, listening to music).

#10 : Write a story from within a bubble.

#11 : Write down 2-3 short character descriptions and then write the characters in conversation with one another.

#12 : Write a story in second person.

#13 : Write a story that keeps contradicting itself.

#14 : Write about a character with at least three big problems.

#15 : Write something that takes place on a Friday, the 13th (of any month).

15 Funny Writing Prompts

#1 : Write a story which starts with someone eating a pickle and potato sandwich.

#2 : Write a short script where the plot has to do with evil dolls trying to take over something.

#3 : Write about writers' block.

#4 : List five election issues that would be ridiculous to includes as part of your election platform (e.g. outlawing mechanical pencils and clicky pens, mandating every person over the age of 30 must own an emergency last rites kit). Choose one of the ridiculous issues and write a speech in favor of it.

#5 : Write a children's story that is insanely inappropriate but can't use graphic language, curses, or violence.

#6 : List five careers. Write about someone with one of those careers who wants to quit it.

#7 : Write down a list of murder methods. Choose one at random from the list to use in a story.

#8 : Write a romance story in which the hero must have a last name corresponding with a physical characteristic (e.g. Jacques Hairyback or Flora Dimple).

#9 : Come up with 10 different ways to:

• order a pizza
• congratulate someone on a job well done
• return to the store something that's broken

#10 : Search for "random Renaissance painting" (or any other inspirational image search text you can think of) on any online internet image search engine. Picking one image, write half a page each of:

• Statements about this image (e.g. "I meant bring me the BREAD of John the Baptist").
• Questions about this image (e.g. "How many of those cherubs look like their necks are broken?").
• Explanations of this image (e.g. "The painter ran out of blue paint halfway through and had to improvise for the color of the sky").
• Commands said by people in this image or about this image (e.g. "Stop telling me to smile!" or "Bring me some gasoline!").

#11 : Write starting with a word that sounds like "chute" (e.g. "chute," "shoot," "shooed").

#12 : Write about a character named X "The [article of clothing]" Y (e.g. Julie "The Yellow Darted Skirt" Whyte) or simply referred to by their clothing (e.g. "the man in the brown suit" or "the woman in black").

#13 : Write down a paragraph each describing two wildly different settings. Write a story involving both settings.

#14 : Think of a fictional holiday based around some natural event (e.g. the Earth being at its farthest point from the sun, in memory of a volcanic eruption, that time a cloud looked like a rabbit riding a bicycle). Write about how this holiday is celebrated.

#15 : Write a "Just-So" type story about a fictional creature (e.g. "how the dragon got its firebreath" or "how the mudkip got its cheek gills").

54 Other Writing Prompt Ideas

#1 : Borrow a character from some other form of media (or create your own). Write from that character's perspective.

#2 : Write for and against a non-consequential controversy (e.g., salt vs. pepper, Mac vs. PC, best kind of door).

#3 : Choose an ancestor or a person from the past to write about or to.

#4 : Write a pirate story with a twist.

#5 : Have a character talk about another character and their feelings about that other character.

#6 : Pick a season and think about an event in your life that occurred in that season. Write a creative nonfiction piece about that event and that season.

#7 : Think of something very complicated and long. Write a page about it using short sentences.

#8 : Write a story as a dream.

#9 : Describe around a food without ever directly naming it.

#10 : Write a monologue (one character, talking to the audience/reader) (*not* an inner monologue).

#11 : Begin a story with the phrase, "It only took five seconds to..."

#12 : List five strong emotions. Choosing one, write about a character experiencing that emotion, but only use the character's actions to convey how they are feeling (no outright statements).

#13 : Write a chapter of the memoir of your life.

#14 : Look through the (physical) things you're currently carrying with you or wearing. Write about the memories or emotions tied with each of them.

#15 : Go be in nature. Write drawing your story from your surroundings (both physical, social, and mental/emotional).

#16 : Write from the perspective of a bubble (or bubble-like creature).

#17 : A person is jogging along an asphalt road. Write a story.

#18 : Title your story (or poem, or play, etc) "Anti-_____". Fill in the blank and write the story.

#19 : Write something that must include an animal, a mineral, and a vegetable.

#20 : Begin your writing with the phrase, "6 weeks later..."

#21 : List 5-10 office jobs. Pick one of them and describe a person working in that job as if you were a commentator on an Olympic sporting event.

#22 : Practice your poetic imagery: overwrite a description of a character's breakfast routine.

#23 : Write about a character (or group of characters) trying to convince another character to try something they're scared of.

#24 : Keep an eye out in your environment for examples of greengrocer's apostrophes and rogue quotation marks. Pick an example and write about what the misplaced punctuation implies (e.g., we have the "best" meat or we have the best "meat" ).

#25 : Fill in the blank with the first word that comes to mind: "_______ Riot!" Write a newspaper-style article describing the events that that took place.

#26 : Write from the point of view of your most-loved possession. What does it think of you?

#27 : Think of five common sayings (e.g., "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"). Write a horror story whose plot is one of those common sayings.

#28 : Write a scene in which two characters are finally hashing out a long-standing misunderstanding or disagreement.

#29 : You start receiving text messages from an unknown number. Tell the story of what happens next.

#30 : Write one character bragging to another about the story behind their new tattoo.

#31 : Superheroes save the world...but they also leave a lot of destruction in their wake. Write about a normal person in a superhero's world.

#32 : Sometimes, family is who we are related to; sometimes, family is a group of people we gather around ourselves. Write a story about (some of) a character's found family and relatives meeting for the first time.

#33 : Write a story that begins in the middle of the plot's action ( en media res ).

#34 : Everyone says you can never have too much of a good thing. Write a story where that isn't true.

#35 : What do ghosts do when they're not creating mischief? Write about the secret lives of ghosts.

#36 : Every year, you dread the last week of April. Write a story about why.

#37 : Write a story about what it would be like to have an animal sidekick in real life.

#38 : Heists don't just have to be black-clad thieves stealing into vaults to steal rare art or money. Write about a group of people (adults or children) who commit a heist for something of seemingly little monetary value.

#39 : "Life is like a chooseable-path adventure, except you don't get to see what would have happened if you chose differently." Think of a choice you've made and write about a world where you made a different choice.

#40 : Write a story about a secret room.

#41 : You find a message in a bottle with very specific directions. Write a story about the adventure you embark upon.

#42 : "You'll always be okay as long as you know where your _______ is." Fill in the blank and write a story (either fictional or from your life) illustrating this statement.

#43 : Forcing people into prolonged proximity can change and deepen relationships. Write about characters on a road trip together.

#44 : In music, sonata form includes three main parts: exposition, development, and recapitulation. Write a short story that follows this format.

#45 : Begin writing with a character saying, "I'm afraid this simply can't wait."

#46 : Write a story with a happy ending (either happily-ever-after or happy-for-now).

#47 : Write about a character before and after a tragedy in that character's life.

#48 : Choose an object or concept you encounter in everyday life (e.g. tables, the feeling of hot or cold, oxygen) and write an infomercial about it.

#49 : "Life is a series of quests, whether important or mundane." Write about a quest you've gone on (or would like to go on, or will have to go on).

#50 : List 10 different ways to learn. Choose one (or more) and write a story where a character learns something using that one (or more) method.

#51 : You've been called to the principal's office for bad behavior. You know what you did. Explain and justify yourself.

#52 : A character discovers their sibling owns a cursed object. Write about what happens next.

#53 : Write a character description by writing a list of items that would be on a scavenger hunt about them.

#54 : The slogan for a product or service you're advertising is, "Kid-tested, _____." Fill in the blank and write the copy for a radio or podcast advertisement for your product.

How to Use Creative Writing Prompts

There's no wrong way to use a creative writing prompt (unless it's to harass and hurt someone)—the point of them is to get you writing and your imagination flowing.

To help you get the most out of these writing prompts, however, we've come up with the six tips below. Try them out!

#1: DON'T Limit Yourself to Prose

Unless you're writing for a particular assignment, there's no reason everything you write in response to a writing prompt has to be prose fiction . Instead of writing your response to a prompt as a story, try writing a poem, nonfiction essay, play, screenplay, or some other format entirely.

#2: DON'T Edit as You Write

The purposes of writing prompts is to get you writing, typos and weird grammar and all. Editing comes later, once you've finished writing and have some space from it to come back to what you wrote.

It's OK to fix things that will make it difficult to read what you've written (e.g., a weird autocorrect that changes the meaning of a sentence), but don't worry too much about typos or perfect grammar when you're writing; those are easy enough to fix in edits . You also can always insert asterisks or a short note as you're writing to remind yourself to go back to fix something (for instance, if as you're writing it seems like you want to move around the order of your paragraphs or insert something earlier).

#3: DO Interpret the Prompt Broadly

The point of using a writing prompt is not to write something that best exemplifies the prompt, but something that sparks your own creativity. Again, unless you're writing in response to an assignment with specific directions, feel free to interpret writing prompts as broadly or as narrowly as you want.

For instance, if your prompt is to write a story that begins with "The stage was set," you could write about anything from someone preparing to put a plan into motion to a literal theatre stage constructed out of pieces of old sets (or something else entirely).

If you're using a writing prompt, it doesn't have to be the first sentence of your story or poem, either; you can also use the prompt as a goal to work towards in your writing.

#4: DO Try Switching Up Your Writing Methods

If it's a possibility for you, see if you write differently in different media. Do you write the same kind of stories by hand as you would typing at a computer? What about if you dictate a story and then transcribe it? Or text it to a friend? Varying the method you use to write can affect the stories you're able to tell.

For example, you may find that it's easier for you to tell stories about your life to a voice recorder than to try to write out a personal essay. Or maybe you have trouble writing poetry, but can easily text yourself or a friend a poem. You might even find you like a writing method you've not tried before better than what you've been doing!

#5: DO Mix and Match Prompt Ideas

If you need more inspiration, feel free to combine multiple prompts (but don't overwhelm yourself with too much to write about).

You can also try switching genres from what might be suggested in the prompt. For instance, try writing a prompt that seems funny in a serious and sad way, or finding the humor in something that otherwise seems humorless. The categories we've organized the prompts into are by no means limiters on what you're allowed to write about.

#6: DO Try to Write Regularly

The more regularly you write, the easier it will be to write (with or without writing prompts).

For some people, this means writing daily; for others, it means setting aside time to write each weekend or each month. Set yourself an achievable goal (write 2x a week, write 1000 words a month) and stick to it. You can always start small and then ramp your wordcount or frequency up.

If you do better when you have something outside yourself prompting to write, you may also want to try something like morning pages , which encourages you to write at least 750 words every day, in any format (story, diary entry, social media postings, etc).

What's Next?

Thinking about attending college or grad school for creative writing? Our articles on whether or not you should major in creative writing and the best creative writing programs are there for you! Plus, if you're a high schooler, you should check out these top writing contests .

Creative writing doesn't necessarily have to be fiction. Check out these three examples of narrative writing and our tips for how to write your own narrative stories and essays .

Just as writing prompts can help give form to amorphous creative energy, using specific writing structures or devices can be great starting points for your next story. Read through our discussion of the top 20 poetic devices to know and see if you can work at least one new one into your next writing session.

Still looking for more writing ideas? Try repurposing our 100+ easy drawing ideas for characters, settings, or plot points in your writing.

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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Author : Caroline Chartrand

22nd Feb 2024

Creative Writing Prompts for Writers: 80 Ideas Will Inspire You

Don’t Have Time to Read? Listen to this Article Instead!

Key Takeaways: Creative Writing Prompts

• Writing prompts are designed to spark creativity and help overcome writer’s block. They serve as a starting point for storytelling by providing a scenario, question, as well as theme to explore.
• Prompts can vary widely, from single words or phrases to sentences, questions, or even images. They are versatile tools that can be tailored to any genre, theme, or writing style.
• Effective prompts should balance specificity and openness, spark curiosity, encourage imagination, evoke an emotional response, and sometimes utilize visual stimuli to inspire creativity.
• The guide provides examples of prompts for various genres, including mystery and thriller, romance, science fiction, fantasy and paranormal, general fiction, travel and adventure, horror, and young adult.
• Beyond the initial prompt, developing a story involves character development, setting the scene, as well as creating conflict and plot twists to drive the narrative forward.
• Regular writing practice using prompts can boost creativity, improve discipline, and enhance one’s writing skills over time.
• Books, online communities, and daily prompt apps are valuable resources for finding new writing prompts and engaging with a community of writers for feedback and inspiration.

Craft Your Book Using Writing Prompts

Write your next ebook with us. Authors Breeze use creative writing prompts to create compelling narratives that captivate your readers.

Introduction to Creative Writing Prompts

Ever found yourself staring at a blank page, blinking your eyes as you try to summon words that seem to have taken a vacation? You’re not alone. Every writer, at some point, faces writer’s block. But fear not! Creative writing prompts and writing ideas are here to rescue you from the lack of creativity. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore creative writing prompts. They can ignite your imagination, help you weave compelling stories, and significantly improve your writing craft.

Feeling stuck when you want to write is something many of us experience. It can be really tough to come up with ideas or even know where to start. This challenge is something even professional writers face, especially before their work reaches bookshelves or sells books on Amazon . But there’s a helpful solution for when you feel like you’re hitting a dead end: writing prompts. So, these prompts can kickstart your creativity and help you get your writing and publishing going.

What is a Writing Prompt?

At its core, a writing prompt is a starting point to get your creativity flowing. But what does prompt mean in writing? A prompt is 1 to 3 sentences that raise an issue or ask a question that fuels your writing ideas.

No matter if it is a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or even a picture, a writing prompt can open doors to untold stories waiting to be told. So, if you learn how to write a prompt, you can enhance its effectiveness in sparking creativity.

However, what makes prompts for writing so magical? Well, they come with built-in writing challenges: to conjure up a unique story based on a predefined starting point. This constraint, surprisingly, liberates rather than confines creativity. It is a paradox of the creative process. Boundaries often lead to the most boundless imagination.

How to Write a Writing Prompt?

Crafting effective writer prompts is an art in itself. Your goal should be to strike a delicate balance between specificity and openness. In addition, you need to provide just enough detail to guide the writer, but not so much that it stifles their creativity. Here are some tips to consider:

Spark Curiosity

An excellent prompt should pique interest. It could be something as simple as:

“The clock struck thirteen,” prompting the question, “Why thirteen?”

This could serve as a fantastic mystery and thriller writing prompt.

Encourage Imagination

Allow room for interpretation. A prompt like the following opens up endless narrative possibilities:

“In a world where dreams are currency.”

It is perfect for science fiction writing prompts or even dystopian writing prompts.

Emotional Connect

Try to evoke an emotional response. Prompts that relate to universal feelings, love, fear, and joy, can be particularly compelling.

Visual Stimulus

Sometimes, a picture can be worth a thousand words. For example, a mysterious photograph or a bizarre painting. It can serve as a powerful prompt.

The beauty of writing prompts lies in their versatility. You can tailor them for any genre, theme, or writing style . It makes them invaluable tools for writers of all stripes.

Pro Writing Tip: Incorporate direct quotations, summaries, and rephrased content from the provided material to bolster your opinions and insights. It’s crucial to demonstrate to your audience that you are actively interacting with the author’s ideas and the content they’ve shared. For instance, if you find yourself at odds with a recommendation in the material, refer to a specific section and articulate your reasons for disagreement. This approach will aid in convincing others to understand and possibly align with your perspective.

How to Start a Writing Prompt?

Staring down a prompt can be as intimidating as the blank page itself. Here’s how to leap over that initial hurdle:

Allow yourself to write without judgment or editing . Let the prompt lead you wherever it may, even if it initially seems nonsensical.

Ask Questions

Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? These questions can help you unpack the prompt and start weaving a narrative web.

Play with Perspectives

If the prompt is a sentence, try writing from the perspective of different characters or objects within that scenario.

Mix and Match

Combine the prompt with another idea you’ve been toying with. The intersection of two ideas can often be where the magic happens.

Genre-Specific Creative Writing Book Prompts

Let’s look at some writing prompt examples that will help you with more writing prompt ideas:

Mystery and Thriller Writing Prompts

Everyone loves a good mystery or a heart-pounding thriller. These genres keep readers on the edge, eager to turn the page. So, here are a few prompts for mysterious writings:

• While renovating your grandmother’s attic, you discover a diary belonging to a relative you never knew existed. The entries hint at a family secret buried for decades.
• You receive a series of anonymous letters, each with a clue that leads you closer to uncovering the identity of a person who claims to have changed your life forever.
• A renowned magician disappears during a live performance. However, this time, it is not part of the act.
• A detective receives a series of cryptic letters. They seem to be linked to unsolved cases from decades ago.
• You witness a crime that hasn’t happened yet. Can you be able to prevent it, or will you become part of it?
• A journalist stumbles upon a conspiracy tied to a secret society that has influenced historical events.
• An ordinary book contains a secret message. It leads to a dangerous treasure hunt across the city.
• A family heirloom is stolen on the eve of a meaningful ceremony. It reveals long-buried family secrets.
• Someone is following you, always a step behind. However, when you turn around, there’s never anyone there.
• A small town is gripped by fear as residents receive anonymous threats predicting their deaths.

Pro Writing Tip: Always start with a relatable scenario but add a twist that invites curiosity. For example , instead of presenting a generic setting like “ walking in a park, ” twist it into something unexpected like “ walking in a park where every bench tells a story of a lost civilization. ” This approach not only grabs the reader’s attention but also provides a fertile ground for their imagination to take off. It encourages them to think beyond the ordinary and dive into the creative process with enthusiasm.

Romance Writing Prompts

Love fuels countless stories, from the tragic to the transcendent. Therefore, with the help of romantic writing prompts, you can explore the complexities of relationships and the human heart. In addition, you can try these creative writing prompts for romance novels :

• Two former lovers unexpectedly reunite in a small coffee shop after years apart. What led to their separation? Moreover, what secrets have they held onto?
• A love letter meant for someone else lands in your hands. It leads you on a quest to find the intended recipient and, perhaps, a love of your own.
• Messages in bottles wash up on the shore. They are penned by a lovelorn sailor from the past.
• A scientist discovers a way to time travel, only to fall in love with someone from a different era.
• Two rival dance champions are forced to partner up, finding love in their quest for the title.
• An astronomer and a poet, sharing a love for the stars, find their paths intertwined under a celestial event.
• Two strangers exchange notes daily in a coffee shop’s suggestion box, leading to an unexpected romance.
• A musician rediscovers a love song written by their late partner. It leads them to a new beginning.
• Two people meet on a cross-country train ride. They form a connection that challenges their destinations.
• Longtime friends make a pact to marry if they’re both single at 30. Then, as the deadline approaches, real feelings emerge.

Science Fiction Writing Prompts

The future is a playground for the imagination. It offers endless possibilities for exploration. Moreover, science fiction writing prompts can take you on journeys through time, space, and the depths of the human mind. Here are some short fiction ideas:

• You discover the last remaining library in the future where all books are banned. What will you do to protect it?
• In a world where memories can be bought and sold, you wake up one day with no recollection of your past. The quest for your identity leads you to dark and unexpected places.
• Earth’s sun is dying. Humanity’s last hope rests on a crew sent to reignite it with untested technology.
• A new technology allows people to swap consciousnesses. However, one person discovers they can’t switch back.
• An ancient alien artifact is unearthed. It holds the key to unlimited energy and the potential for interstellar war.
• A scientist accidentally opens a portal to a parallel dimension where history turns dark.
• There is a world where memoirs can be engineered. One person uncovers a conspiracy to manipulate the human race.
• AI servants start to develop consciousness. It leads to a society-wide debate on rights and existence.
• On a distant space colony, sabotage reveals deep-seated corruption and a fight for survival.
• A time capsule meant to be opened in a thousand years is accidentally triggered early. It reveals the unforeseen future of humanity.

Fantasy and Paranormal Writing Prompts

Get into worlds where magic is real and the paranormal is just another part of life. These prompts invite you to explore good story starters:

• You stumble upon a forest that everyone in your village avoids. Inside, you find a world that is teemed with creatures and magic you never believed possible.
• A ghost bound to an ancient mansion seeks your help to solve the mystery of their death. They reveal secrets that will change the history of the place.
• A librarian discovers their library is alive, with books that can transport readers into their stories.
• There is a discovery of the last dragon egg. It threatens to ignite a war between humans and dragonkin.
• A person makes a deal with a ghost to solve their unfinished business, entangling their fates.
• A royal heir finds their destiny intertwined with a crown that grants immense power and a deadly curse.
• Magic is banned in a world where a young mage discovers a hidden truth about their power.
• A keeper of magical portals between worlds faces a dilemma when a forbidden love crosses boundaries.
• An unlikely hero is chosen as the apprentice to the last witch in the world, tasked with saving magic.
• A mysterious carnival appears in town overnight, offering fantastical wonders and hidden dangers.

Pro Writing Tip : When crafting a fantasy or paranormal novel, the key to captivating your audience is to blend the familiar with the extraordinary. Simple Writing Prompt : Imagine a world where everyone has a magical talent that manifests on their 16th birthday. Your protagonist, however, wakes up on their 16th birthday to discover they have no talent. Explore their journey as they navigate a world where they feel out of place, only to uncover a hidden power within themselves that transcends the known talents. Creative Writing Prompt : In a city where the night brings out not just stars but also portals to other dimensions, your main character is a night courier, delivering packages to these alternate realms. One night, they receive a mysterious package that is not to be delivered to another dimension, but to a being that hasn’t been seen in centuries. This delivery leads them on an adventure through various dimensions, uncovering secrets about the city, its night-time wonders, and themselves.

General Fiction Writing Prompts

Sometimes, the most compelling stories to write are those that reflect our own world, warts and all. General fiction story ideas and prompts offer a canvas for the human condition:

• You find a phone with one unread message that changes your perspective on life.
• At a pivotal moment in your life, you meet a stranger. He offers you advice that could change everything.
• Once a year, a lottery gives one person the chance to change their life completely—but at what cost?
• An artist discovers they can paint pictures that make others relive memories. It alters their perception of the past.
• A café sits at the crossroads of reality. The customers of the café find themselves confronted with life-changing decisions.
• A box of unsent letters was found in an attic. They tell the story of a family’s hidden history.
• The last bookstore in a world dominated by digital media. It becomes the center of a community’s struggle to remember its humanity.
• A watchmaker creates a watch that can stop time for everyone but the wearer, exploring the consequences of isolation.
• A series of balcony gardens across a city weaves together the lives of its residents in unexpected ways.
• Two childhood friends make a promise to achieve their dreams. However, life takes them on very different paths.

Travel and Adventure Writing Prompts

For the wanderlust-driven soul, travel and adventure prompts whisk you away to far-off lands and thrilling escapades:

• You get an old map that leads to a place not found on any modern map. What do you discover at the end of the journey?
• After a storm at sea, you wash up on the shores of an island. It hides a civilization untouched by the outside world.
• A map is marked with unknown names. It leads to a journey uncovering hidden histories and forgotten places.
• In the heart of the desert, a mirage reveals a hidden oasis with secrets of its own.
• An expedition to an uncharted island reveals a civilization thought to be a myth.
• A trip to see the Northern Lights uncovers a phenomenon more magical. But it is more dangerous than ever expected.
• A hidden path in an ancient forest leads to a world untouched by time.
• An urban explorer discovers an underground city beneath the streets of a bustling metropolis.
• A mysterious castle appears in the sky. It is accessible only to those who dare to find a way up.
• A traveller returns from an otherworldly journey with tales. They challenge the limits of belief.

Horror Writing Prompts

Horror writing prompts are a great resource for vampire romance books and other horror-related genres. So, tap into the depths of fear with horror story prompts that are sure to send shivers down your spine:

• A painting you acquire at an estate sale changes each time you look at it. Eventually, it reveals something horrifying.
• A person discovers their reflection. It has a mind of its own. In addition, it reveals dark truths.
• The woods near your house are said to be haunted. One night, you hear your name whispered among the trees.
• You hear about a melody that haunts a town. It drives its listeners to madness and reveals a sinister history.
• A house filled with lifelike dolls that seem to watch your every move. It hides a grim secret.
• A fog rolls into a small town, and with it comes whispers that drive people to do unspeakable things.
• You see a door in the basement that was never there before. It leads to a dark and forgotten place.
• Residents of a small town are visited by a figure in the night, who watches from afar, never approaching until.
• A grave that doesn’t appear on any map is found to hold the key to a century-old curse.
• A rare lunar eclipse reveals a horrifying figure walking across the moon’s surface. It signals a dark event.

Young Adult Writing Prompts

Young adult fiction often tackles the tumultuous journey of growing up. The following prompts focus on the challenges and triumphs of youth:

• At your new school, you’re invited to join a secret society. It promises adventure but hides a dark secret.
• On your sixteenth birthday, you discover you have a power. It could change the world or destroy it.
• A group of friends discovers a hidden bunker during summer break. It leads to a mystery that tests their friendship.
• A secret society meets at midnight to share stories. However, their tales start to come true.
• A teen discovers their ancestry is linked to an ancient legend. It thrusts them into a world of magic and danger.
• Teens have the power to enter dreams. They must save one of their own from a nightmare that could trap them forever.
• A high school talent show reveals a student’s unique ability. It attracts unwanted attention.
• There is a society where books are banned. A group of teens starts an underground library and fights for the right to read.
• A teen discovers a parallel world where their every decision creates ripples. It affects both worlds in unexpected ways.
• At a summer camp set to close, campers encounter a mystery that ties the camp’s history to their own lives.

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Beyond the Prompt: Develop Your Story with Creative Writing Prompts

You now have ideas for writing prompts. Then, it is time to transition from story writing prompts to a fully realized story. Writing prompts serve as the initial stage. However, the journey from prompt to page is where the real magic happens. Let’s look at how you can develop writing prompts into captivating narratives.

Character Development

Start with questions.

Who is your protagonist? What do they want more than anything? What’s stopping them? Characters drive stories, such as:

• Foil Characters
• Morally Grey Characters
• Round Characters

Therefore, you need to understand the motivations, fears, and strengths of your characters.

Give Them Flaws

Perfect characters are boring. Flaws make characters relatable and their journeys compelling. So, think about how the weaknesses of your character might impact their decisions and the outcome of the story.

Set the Scene

World-building.

World-building is especially important in genres such as fantasy and science fiction. However, every story needs a setting. Look at how the environment affects the story. Is it a dystopian future that challenges the characters at every turn, or a buzzing city filled with opportunities and threats?

Sensory Details

Bring your world to life with sensory details. What does it smell like in the haunted mansion or on the alien planet? In addition, what sounds fill the air in the bustling marketplace or the quiet village?

Plot Twists and Turns

Outline the journey.

Even if you’re not an outliner by nature, you should have a rough idea of where your story is headed. As a result, it can help keep you on track. So, think of it as a map with room for detours.

Conflict is Key

Conflict is one of the top elements of fiction . No conflict, no story. So, your characters should face challenges, make decisions, and deal with the consequences. In addition, these conflicts can be external (a villain, a natural disaster) or internal (fear of failure, struggling with identity).

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Our ghostwriters transform your ideas into mesmerizing stories using creative writing prompts to ensure your voice shines through.

The Value of Practice

Keep in mind that the goal is not to write a book on your first try. The goal is to write. Each story you write and each prompt you explore help hone your skills and deepen your learning of the craft. So, practice regularly with writing prompts. As a result, it will:

Boost Creativity

The more you write, the easier it becomes to develop new ideas for writing a book and solve narrative problems.

Improve Discipline

Set a writing routine, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. It can help turn writing from a hobby into a habit.

Resources and Ideas for Creative Writing Prompts

Find new and exciting prompts. It doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are some resources to keep your prompt well full:

Books and Journals

Many books are dedicated to providing writers with prompts. Similarly, literary journals sometimes offer prompt-based contests.

Online Communities

Websites like Reddit have communities dedicated to writing prompts. Participating can also provide you with feedback from fellow writers. Such platforms are excellent sources of free writing prompts, daily writing prompts as well as random writing prompts.

Daily Prompt Apps

There are several apps available that deliver a new writing prompt to you each day. In addition, they ensure you always have a source of inspiration at your fingertips.

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Additional Resources:

Books on Writing Craft: “ On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King “ Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” by Anne Lamott “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White “Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within” by Natalie Goldberg “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield Online Writing Communities: Reddit ‘s r/Writing and r/WritingPrompts Wattpad : A platform for writers to share their work and connect with readers Scribophile : A writing group and online writing workshop where writers can critique each other’s work NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month): An annual event that encourages writers to complete a novel in a month, held every November Writing Software and Tools: Scrivener : A powerful content-generation tool for long documents Grammarly : A writing assistant that helps with grammar, punctuation, and style Hemingway Editor : A tool that highlights complex sentences and common errors to improve readability Evernote : A note-taking app that can be useful for organizing research and ideas Creative Writing Courses and Workshops: Local community colleges or universities often offer creative writing courses Online platforms like Coursera , Udemy , and Skillshare offer a variety of writing courses taught by experienced authors Writing retreats and workshops, such as those offered by The Highlights Foundation or The Loft Literary Center

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some cool prompts.

Here are a few writing prompts to get you started:

• Write about a song that evokes a strong emotion in you.
• Narrate a childhood memory from the perspective of someone else who was there.
• Describe an object that isn’t valuable but means a lot to you.
• Today’s color: What color do you feel like today and why?

What are 500 writing prompts?

The “500 Writing Prompts” journal is a treasure trove for writers. It offers a wide range of prompts across genres and themes. Moreover, it is designed to spark your creativity and help you explore the depths of your imagination, one prompt at a time.

What are 5-minute writing prompts?

These quick prompts are perfect for daily journaling or warming up your writing muscles. They include gratitudes, aspirations, affirmations, reflections on the day, and thoughts on improvement.

What are some good writing questions?

Here are a few journal prompts to ponder:

• What do you aspire to be?
• List five adventures you want to have before you turn 20.
• What’s your dream job?
• Imagine your life at 30. What does it look like?
• What are the three most impactful jobs in the world, in your opinion?
• Would you ever want to be president?

Writing prompts are not just a cure for writer’s block. They’re an excellent tool that can help your growth as a writer. In addition, they make your way to explore new genres and a method for honing your craft. Every word you write brings you one step closer to the writer you aspire to be. So, grab some good writing prompts from the many creative writing topics we have discussed. Then, see where it leads you. In addition, if you face any problems, you can always come to Authors Breeze .

Enhance Your Blog with Writing Prompts

Our blog writers use innovative writing prompts to produce posts that engage, inform, and delight your audience.

Caroline Chartrand

As a writing expert, Caroline R Chartrand has written numerous books across various genres, from memoirs to self-help guides. With a passion for history and literature, she has delved into the lives of some of the fascinating figures in history, uncovering hidden stories and surprising facts.

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024

April 15, 2024

Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.

Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .

What are Creative Writing Prompts?

Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).

Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.

How to use Creative Writing Prompts

Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:

Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.

Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.

Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts.  This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)

Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.

Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens

Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!

Prompts using memories

• Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
• Describe a family ritual.
• Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
• Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
• Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
• Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
• Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
• What’s your earliest memory?
• Who was your first friend?
• Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
• Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
• Write about the best month of the year.
• Write about the worst day of the year.
• Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
• Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
• Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
• Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
• Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
• Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.

Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts

• Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
• Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
• Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
• Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
• Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
• Tell the story of a piece of trash.
• Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
• Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.

Senses and observations as creative writing prompts

• Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
• Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
• Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
• Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
• Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
• Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
• Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
• Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
• Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
• Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
• Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
• Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
• Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
• Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.

Songs, books, and other art

• Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
• Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
• Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
• Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
• Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
• Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
• Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
• Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
• Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
• Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
• Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.

Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts

• Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
• Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
• Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
• Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
• Invent a mode of time travel.
• Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
• Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
• Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
• Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
• Write like you’re telling a secret.
• Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?

Prompts for playing with narrative and character

• Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
• Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
• Write a story that begins with the ending.
• Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
• Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
• Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
• You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
• Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
• Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
• Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
• Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
• Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
• Invent a bank or museum heist.
• Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
• Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
• Write using the form of a recipe.

Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction

• Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
• Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
• Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
• Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
• You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
• Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
• Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
• Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
• Write about your day, but lie about some things.
• Tell the story of your birth.
• Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
• Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
• Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.

Prompts for starting with dialogue

• Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
• Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
• Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
• Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
• Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
• You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
• Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
• Write a job interview gone badly.

Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School 

Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:

• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Good Transition Words for Essays
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Harry Potter Writing Prompts: Craft Magical Adventures

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Unleash Your Imagination with Harry Potter Writing Prompts

Prompt 1: explore ​new adventures, prompt 2: untold stories, explore the⁣ wizarding‌ world: harry potter writing prompts for​ all ⁣ages, craft spellbinding plots: harry‍ potter writing prompts‍ for‍ exciting adventures, develop complex characters: harry potter writing prompts to ‌create dynamic personalities, master the ⁤art of world-building: harry potter writing prompts for detailed settings, encounter magical creatures: harry ‌potter writing prompts to bring fantastical beings to life, weave ⁤intricate mysteries: ⁣harry potter writing prompts to create enthralling puzzles, elevate your prose ‌with harry potter: writing prompts to emulate j.k.‍ rowling’s ‍style, frequently asked⁣ questions, in conclusion.

Are you a fan of the magical ⁤world of Harry Potter? Do you have a vivid imagination waiting to be unleashed? ‍Look no further! Here, we have ‍compiled a list of exhilarating writing ⁢prompts inspired ⁣by the ⁢enchanting universe created by J.K. Rowling. So grab your quill, summon your creative energies, and let the magic ‍flow through your words!

Embark on a thrilling adventure alongside your favorite characters or create your own wizarding hero! Craft a spellbinding⁣ tale as⁤ you⁢ dive into the depths‍ of the Forbidden Forest, unravel the​ mysteries of Diagon‍ Alley, or⁤ tangle with ⁤mythical creatures ‍in the Triwizard ⁤Tournament. The possibilities are endless!

• Describe the‍ secret meeting place​ for Dumbledore’s Army.
• Invent ‍a new magical creature and write a‌ thrilling encounter between it and your protagonist.
• Imagine attending a different​ wizarding school and recount your experiences.

Delve into the untold ⁢stories ‌from the magical world of⁣ Harry Potter ⁣- the ones ‍that were ⁤left ‍unsaid. Create a backstory for an obscure character, unveil‌ the history of a hallowed magical artifact, or craft the origin tale of ⁤a notorious dark wizard. ‍Let your imagination roam free⁢ as you bring hidden narratives to life!

• Write a heartwarming story about Neville Longbottom’s first⁢ love interest.
• Unravel the legends surrounding the Elder ‍Wand and ‍its ⁤previous owners.
• Imagine the rise of⁢ Lord Voldemort from the perspective of a ‌loyal​ Death Eater.

Are you a fan​ of the magical world of Harry Potter? ‌Do you love to immerse yourself‍ in the enchanting tales of witches, wizards, and fantastical creatures? If⁤ so, then you’re in for a treat! We have compiled a list of ⁣captivating Harry Potter writing ⁣prompts⁢ that are ⁤suitable for⁤ all ages. Whether you are a seasoned writer or someone who⁣ simply enjoys putting pen to paper, these ​prompts will ⁤transport ‌you to the ‍wizarding world and‌ ignite your imagination.

Let your creativity soar as you‍ dive into these Harry Potter⁤ writing prompts:

• Imagine you are ⁣a first-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Describe your experience as you step onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters for the first time.
• Write a⁢ letter to ‌your favorite​ Harry Potter character, sharing your thoughts and feelings about their journey throughout the ⁢series.
• Explore the mystery of the Room ⁣of ‌Requirement. What would you​ find inside if you ⁤were‍ in​ desperate⁢ need?
• Create your own​ magical spell and​ explain its purpose and effects.

These writing prompts will not only allow you‌ to​ delve into the magical ‌world ⁤of Harry Potter, but they will ​also sharpen your writing skills and expand your imagination. So grab your⁤ quill,‌ summon ⁢your creativity, and embark on ‍an adventure through the pages ⁤of your own Harry Potter-inspired ‌story!

If you’re⁤ an aspiring writer and ⁢a fan‍ of the enchanting ​world of Harry Potter, you’re in⁣ for a treat! We’ve gathered a collection of thrilling writing prompts that will ignite your imagination and transport ​you⁤ to Hogwarts and beyond. These prompts ⁢are designed to inspire you to create your‍ very own​ magical adventures and captivating plots. So grab your quill and parchment, and let’s dive into the world of Harry Potter!

1.⁢ **The Enchanted Artifact**: ⁤Your protagonist stumbles upon a⁤ mysterious artifact hidden within the⁤ restricted section of the Hogwarts library. As they delve deeper into its origins and powers, they soon discover that it holds ⁤the⁢ key to an ancient prophecy that could change the course of‍ wizarding history.

2. **The Forbidden Forest**: The Hogwarts groundskeeper has fallen ill, leaving no one to tend‌ to the ​notorious Forbidden Forest. Your protagonist, a courageous student, volunteers ‍to take on the ⁢role temporarily. Little do ‍they know,​ amidst the towering trees and magical‍ creatures, a hidden magical conspiracy unfolds, threatening the safety of ​the entire school!

3. ⁢**House Rivalry**: In the​ wake ‍of a Quidditch ‍accident, your protagonist ‍discovers a hidden​ feud⁢ between two rival Hogwarts houses. Determined to uncover the truth‌ and bring ⁤unity, they embark on a ⁣perilous mission, facing challenges, betrayals, and unexpected alliances along the way. ⁤Can they mend the ⁢broken bonds and restore ⁣harmony to the magical community?

Creating compelling and multifaceted characters is​ the key to​ captivating storytelling. In the magical world ​of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling has masterfully crafted​ a ‌diverse cast of characters whose unique personalities leap off the pages. ⁢If‍ you’re looking to develop your own complex characters, these Harry Potter-inspired writing prompts will inspire ⁣you to‍ create dynamic and unforgettable⁤ personalities.

1. Sorting ⁣Hat Surprise: ​Imagine a character who defies ⁣the​ expectations of ​the Sorting Hat. Write a scene where⁢ this‌ character is sorted into an unexpected house and explore the conflicts and growth that arise from this unconventional placement.

2. ⁢Forbidden Friendship: Develop a character who befriends someone from ​a⁣ rival house at Hogwarts, despite ‍the long-lasting animosity between their respective houses. Dive ​into the complexities of this forbidden friendship and explore ⁤how it shapes their personalities​ and challenges⁣ the status quo.

In ‌the enchanting world ⁤of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling ​masterfully crafted a universe full of intricate ‌details and captivating settings. Now, it’s your turn ⁢to⁤ unleash your imagination and dive into the art⁤ of world-building​ with these Harry Potter writing prompts. Get ready to explore new realms, create ‍magical creatures, and bring​ your own ⁣unique settings ​to life.

1. Unexplored Wonders: Picture an uncharted area within the ​Wizarding World. What hidden treasures or ⁢mystical creatures⁢ might be found ⁣there?⁣ Describe the‍ unique features and the atmosphere ‌that ‍would make this ‌place truly enchanting.

2. Forgotten Spells: ⁤Imagine stumbling​ upon a long-forgotten spellbook‌ buried⁣ deep within Hogwarts’ ‍library. Choose one spell and write about ⁢the unexpected consequences when a student unwittingly casts it.​ What‍ chaos ensues and how do ‍they solve the predicament?

3. ‍Magical Professions: Invent a new occupation in the⁤ Wizarding World that ‍specializes in the care ⁣or creation of magical artifacts. Outline the responsibilities, skills, and ‌challenges faced by⁣ individuals in this unique profession.

4. Spectacular Quidditch Stadium: Design a magnificent Quidditch ⁣stadium for the prestigious Quidditch World Cup. From​ the layout‍ of the stands to the enchantments that make the games truly unforgettable, bring ⁣your vision to life​ in vivid detail.

5.⁢ Forbidden Forest: Create a dark and mysterious forest, similar to the Forbidden Forest‍ in Hogwarts.​ Describe the eerie foliage, peculiar creatures lurking within, and ​the dangers that lie in wait for those who venture ⁢too far.

6. Magical Market: Imagine a bustling magical marketplace,‍ akin to Diagon Alley, with an array of enchanting shops and vendors. Detail the diverse establishments, their unique products,‌ and the vibrant atmosphere of⁢ this extraordinary wizarding⁢ plaza.

7.⁢ Wizarding School of Art: Construct a wizarding school⁢ dedicated to nurturing magical ‌talents in various forms of artistic expression,‍ such⁣ as painting, music, or dance. Describe the‌ grand ‌architecture, talented instructors, and the creative challenges awaiting ⁢students.

8. Spellbinding ​Transportation: ⁢Invent a new⁤ mode of magical transportation that⁣ operates within the wizarding ⁢world. Highlight its ​distinctive features, advantages⁤ over existing methods, and the adventures that travelers might encounter during⁣ their extraordinary journeys.

Embrace the⁢ endless possibilities of world-building as you immerse yourself in the​ whimsical realm of Harry Potter. Unleash your creativity ​and ‌bring to life extraordinary settings that‌ would leave even J.K. Rowling herself‌ in awe. Get your quill‍ ready, conjure up your‌ imagination, and watch your world ⁣take shape.

If you’re a fan of J.K. Rowling’s iconic Harry ⁤Potter series, you’ve likely marveled at the fantastic⁢ creatures that inhabit the wizarding world. From the majestic Hippogriffs to⁤ the mischievous Nifflers, ‍these magical beings add depth and excitement to the⁤ enchanting ‍universe. ⁤We’ve curated a collection of writing prompts that will transport​ you into this world, allowing you to conjure up ⁢your ‍own tales and encounters with ⁤these fantastical creatures.

1. Grindylows – Imagine stumbling upon a hidden lake during ​an evening stroll. ​As⁢ you​ approach, you notice a ‍group of Grindylows emerge from ​the ⁢depths.⁢ Write​ a story detailing your encounter with‌ these mischievous water-dwelling creatures.

2. Thestral ⁣Ride – Picture yourself taking ⁤a daring journey on ⁣the back of a Thestral, a magical creature that can only be seen‍ by those who⁢ have ⁢witnessed death. Describe the emotions and sensations you ​experience as you soar⁣ through the night sky with ⁤this enigmatic being.

Step into the enchanting world‌ of Harry Potter and unleash your creativity ⁣with these captivating writing prompts designed to help you craft intricate and suspenseful mysteries. Whether you’re a fan of the series⁤ or simply intrigued by the magical ⁤elements,⁤ these ⁣prompts will transport you to Hogwarts and ‍beyond, challenging you to engage readers with​ enthralling puzzles, unexpected twists, and clever ⁢clues.

1. **The Disappearing Wand** – In the‍ heart of Diagon ‍Alley, one of⁣ Ollivander’s most precious wands has vanished under mysterious circumstances. As a young ​Auror-in-training, it’s up to‍ you to uncover the ​hidden⁣ truth behind⁢ this peculiar disappearance. Delve into the secret lives of‌ the shop’s employees, interrogate shady characters, ‌and uncover ancient spells to crack the case.

2. **The‍ Haunted Portrait** – At Hogwarts School ‌of Witchcraft and‍ Wizardry, a terrifying rumor is spreading like wildfire: a haunted portrait⁣ causing havoc in the castle.⁤ As a resourceful student with a knack⁣ for‌ solving puzzles, ⁢it’s time to put your skills to the test. ⁣Investigate the twisted stories within the paintings, navigate⁤ the shifting corridors, and decipher cryptic messages to bring ‍peace ‌back‌ to Hogwarts.

Have you ever marveled at J.K. Rowling’s enchanting prose and longed to capture that same magical essence in your⁣ own writing? Look no ⁣further! In this section, we present a collection of ‍writing ‍prompts ​inspired by ⁤the master wordsmith herself, designed ‌to⁣ help you explore and emulate J.K. Rowling’s unique style. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just embarking on your literary journey, these prompts ​will elevate your prose and transport your readers into a world of wonder ‌and ⁤imagination.

Unlock your inner wizard by drawing inspiration⁢ from the following prompts:

• A Character’s⁢ Backstory: Delve ⁣into the depths of ⁣a⁢ character’s past, their ⁣trials, triumphs, and⁢ how ‍they ​shaped‍ the person‌ they are today. Let J.K. Rowling’s knack for intricate‌ character histories⁤ guide you towards creating unique and unforgettable personas.
• Mysterious Objects: Imagine stumbling upon an intriguing, seemingly ordinary object that turns out to possess​ extraordinary⁢ properties. Harness ⁢Rowling’s talent for crafting enchanted objects to ‌weave an engrossing tale ‍brimming ​with awe and curiosity.
• The Power of Friendship: Explore the unbreakable bonds of ‍friendship and camaraderie, just like the iconic⁣ trio of Harry, Ron, ⁣and Hermione. Showcase ⁤the growth and ⁢unwavering ⁤support that sustains friendships⁣ throughout hardships, triumphs, and magical adventures.

With these prompts ⁤as your guide, embark on a literary ‌journey⁣ of your own, immersing yourself in the​ realm ⁣of​ J.K. Rowling’s fantastical storytelling.⁤ Let your creativity soar and unleash the magic within your words as you strive ⁤to capture the essence⁤ of her remarkable writing style. Hogwarts is merely a page ​away!

Q: What ‌are‍ “Harry Potter Writing⁣ Prompts: Craft Magical Adventures”? A: “Harry‌ Potter Writing Prompts:⁢ Craft Magical Adventures” are a collection of creative prompts inspired by the‍ famous Harry Potter series. These prompts are designed to unleash ⁢your ⁢imagination ⁣and help you craft your own magical ⁤adventures within ⁤the Harry Potter universe.

Q: How ⁣can these writing prompts help⁣ me? A: These writing prompts serve as a starting⁤ point⁢ to ⁣ignite ⁣your creativity and inspire ‌you to write captivating stories set in the magical world of Harry Potter. They provide you with characters, settings, and scenarios that enable you to explore the vast potential⁢ within⁢ J.K. Rowling’s spellbinding universe.

Q: Are these writing prompts suitable for all writers? A: Absolutely!⁢ Whether you are a⁣ beginner or an experienced writer, these prompts⁢ are designed to cater to various skill levels. They provide a platform for anyone⁤ with an interest‌ in Harry Potter to exercise their storytelling abilities and develop ‍their writing ​skills.

Q: Can I use these prompts for personal enjoyment only? A: Of course! These writing prompts are perfect for personal writing exercises, helping you to delve⁢ into the magical ⁣world of Harry Potter and create‍ your own adventures.⁢ You can use them as⁢ a way to‍ relax, have fun, and improve your ⁤creative writing skills.

Q: How can these prompts ⁣be used in⁣ a classroom or ⁣writing group? A: Teachers and writing group ⁤leaders can utilize these writing prompts as a means to ​engage their ​students or group members in the writing​ process. The prompts ⁢can spark lively​ discussions, ⁣inspire group collaborations, and help participants develop their writing skills through shared⁣ critiques and feedback.

Q: Can‌ these prompts be ⁢used for fanfiction? A: ‍Absolutely! These writing prompts are an‍ excellent resource for Harry Potter fanfiction writers. They provide a​ solid foundation⁢ for creating unique and immersive stories within the Harry Potter universe. So, if you’re a fanfiction enthusiast, these prompts will definitely catapult⁤ your imagination.

Q:‌ Are these ‌prompts endorsed by J.K. Rowling? A: No, ⁢these prompts ⁣are not officially endorsed by J.K. Rowling or her publishers. They are simply⁤ a collection of creative writing ideas‌ inspired by her magical ⁢world. However,‌ they aim to celebrate and honor the original series by‍ providing fans‌ with an‌ opportunity to explore their⁢ own‌ storylines.

Q: Where can I find these Harry Potter writing prompts? A: You can find these Harry Potter ⁣writing prompts in various formats, including books,‍ online resources, and writing platforms. They are often available for purchase or accessible for free⁤ on websites that specialize⁢ in writing resources or fan⁢ communities. Simply search⁣ using relevant keywords, and you’ll ⁣discover a plethora ‍of options to ​unleash ⁤your creativity.

Q: Can I ⁣share my writings based on these prompts online? A: Definitely! Sharing your writings based ⁤on these prompts is a great​ way to connect ‌with other Harry Potter enthusiasts ⁢and⁤ expand your writing community. There are numerous⁢ platforms, such as blogs, writing forums, and social media groups, where you ⁣can share your ​stories and receive feedback from fellow fans. ‍It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase⁤ your talents and receive‍ support from like-minded individuals.

Q: Are there‍ any copyright restrictions associated with using these prompts? A: While the writing prompts themselves are ‍typically free⁣ to use,⁣ it’s essential to respect copyright laws‌ when crafting your stories. ⁤Ensure your works do not infringe upon ‌J.K. Rowling’s intellectual ‍property, and seek permission ⁣if you plan to ‌publish or monetize any content derived from the Harry Potter series. ⁤Remember, these prompts are meant to ‍inspire your own original stories within ⁢the wizarding world.

In conclusion, using Harry Potter writing prompts can‌ ignite your‌ imagination and help‌ you craft captivating magical adventures. ⁤Happy ​writing!

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